GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment
Source: TH
Direction: The article highlights the changes in the nature of work during the Covid-19 pandemic, its impact and suggestions to leverage these changes.
Context:
- A report titled ‘Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World’ has been recently released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
- This first-ever ILO global report on working time focuses on the actual number of hours of work, working-time arrangements and their implications for work-life balance.
Highlights of the report:
Nature of work during the COVID-19 crisis:
- Flexible working hours.
- Short-time work and work-sharing measures.
- Increased working hours in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industries.
- Teleworking contributed to the pandemic response by reducing social contact.
- Great resignation phenomenon: It is an ongoing economic trend (beginning in early 2021) in which employees (most likely in hospitality, healthcare, and education sectors) have voluntarily resigned from their jobs in mass, in the wake of the pandemic.
- The most cited reasons are work-life imbalances, wage stagnation amid the rising cost of living, limited opportunities for career advancement, hostile work environments, etc.
Impact: Inclusive short-time work schemes with the highest possible allowances –
- Enabled individuals as well as companies, enterprises and industries to collectively reduce the hours or volume of work.
- Sustained purchasing power and created the possibility of cushioning the effects of economic crises.
- Laid the ground for a better and more healthy work-life balance.
- Teleworking helped in maintaining organisational operations and preserving jobs.
Suggestions by the ILO:
- ILO member countries need to prescribe policies necessary to remedy the weaknesses of working-time instruments that became apparent during the pandemic.
- Large-scale implementation of telework nearly everywhere in the world to change the nature of employment in the near future.
Conclusion:
- The ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon has placed work-life balance at the forefront of social and labour market issues in the post-pandemic world.
- There is a substantial amount of evidence that work-life balance policies provide significant benefits to enterprises, and such policies are a ‘win-win’ for both employers and employees.
The Great Resignation, also known as the ‘Big Quit’ and the ‘Great Reshuffle’, is an ongoing economic trend in which employees have voluntarily resigned from their jobs en masse, beginning in early 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A record 4.3 million people resigned in August 2021, up 2,42,000 from July, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Underlying factors:
- COVID Pandemic has led to people working from home, and many resigned to take care of their loved ones during periods of sickness.
- Burnout: Working from home and being double burdened with psycho-social issues due to isolation and low-leisure time also led to burnout feeling.
- Anti-work movement: It grew strong in 2021 and improvement in labour conditions and wage hikes were key demands that not being met resulted in resignation.
- Gig economy: Freelance and gig work became strong during the pandemic period and many sought gig works and moonlighting in new fields.
- Skilling: moonlighting in new fields also meant leaving the conventional job to acquire new skills.
Insta Links:
New labour codes give a free hand to employers: Unions
Mains Links:
Explore and evaluate the impact of ‘Work from Home’ on family relationships. (UPSC 2022)
