Are Indian Employees Facing Unfair Work Conditions Compared to Overseas? Let's Discuss

Indian Employees Are Exploited:

I feel that a lot of companies exploit labor in India when compared with overseas counterparts. Indians are made to work long hours and under intense pressure. I think this is due to the fact that India does not have strict labor laws compared to the U.S. In the U.S., companies cannot make people work for more than 8 hours, but if they do, they must pay them overtime. However, here in India, people like us work 14-hour shifts and more. Due to this "use and throw" attitude, many of us are burning out quickly, leading to a significant amount of attrition in our field.

Post your views to enlighten me and others on this burning issue.

Love you guys, Vishal

Hi,

The topic you gave for discussion is a behavioral issue. Employees today in India are almost exploited by their companies. Indians are highly flexible, and the companies (MNC's) penetrate India only due to this reason. Since the employees like working long hours for high pay, the employers also exploit them. However, in the case of the U.S., they have advanced labor laws which are not present in India. Maybe some other person in the forum can provide detailed information on this.

With regards,
Jayavel.k

I am agreed with you to an extent, but I think it's not only the companies. One reason is that the employees let themselves be exploited nicely because they are paid well for that. They know if they won't take this chance, someone else will. That is a major difference between India and the US. You leave the job here, and there will be a thousand more ready to work in your place for less money. So, the competition won't let you leave the job.

Just a view, guys! 😛
Vrinda

I agree with Vrinda. Employees tend to do a lot of work beyond their working hours to show their efficiency and climb the career growth ladder. So, employers also tend to take advantage of this fact.

Reena

Dear friends,

Namaskar.

Going through the heading and the posts, I think attitudes are being expressed and not the assessment of the situations. By the expression "DO YOU THINK" in the heading, virtually attitudes are invited and not the assessments. Unless exploitation is defined and parameters are fixed, mere attitudes lead nowhere. The central theme of Das Capital of Karl Marx is exploitation only. His definition is that the extent of exploitation is directly proportional to the rate of surplus value. Do you agree? Otherwise, jisko jis bakat mauka mila usne us bakat dusreko chuna lagaya. Right?

Regards, Jogeshwar

Right, friend. But nowadays, whoever invests more will earn more profit. Correct.

- Vrinda

Can we really say that we are being exploited...

Let us count what we are losing:

1. We work for 48 hours a week (officially, let us not count more at this point).
2. We are paid in Rupees (Hey, the Americans get in dollars, some 46 times more than us).
3. The pay package (even in real terms) is much lesser as compared to the USA.

Add to the list:

Let us count what we are gaining:

1. We get job security (Americans can get a pink slip any weekend as the labor laws on this angle are quite lenient there).
2. We are on the payroll (most of the Americans are actually (on paper) working consultants, so they don't even get the pink slip).

Add to the list:

You can add to the list and give proper weightages to work out which is more beneficial.

As for specific exploitation (out of the purview of the law), I think it works out to be the same all over the world.

As the weighting system is more of a subjective nature, I would suggest that everyone works out their own weights for all the points. Add to the points given and weigh whether we are being shortchanged.

Dear friends,

Namaskar.

As the weighting system is more of a subjective nature, I would suggest that everyone work out their own weights for all the points. Additionally, add to the points given and evaluate whether we are being shortchanged.

First of all, let there be consensus on the above.

Regards,
Jogeshwar

What I have tried to give in the previous post is a systematic way of approaching a problem and selecting an option.

If we are discussing the Labour Laws of the countries (from the topic, obviously we are not discussing that), more or less the labor laws are equal in both countries. If it is of human nature (exploitation by companies/employees) than, I believe that there is exploitation everywhere (if working long hours for your company means exploitation to you) (it certainly is not for me, not as of yet). It is more of a subjective matter, as I like to work harder so that my company grows; somebody else might not. Somebody might be ready to take late salaries if the cash condition of the company is not good; somebody will call it exploitation. Further, we can find it all around the globe. If somebody has access to any research work that employers around some part of the world exploit less than others, then I would request them to post the research paper on the board/give a link so that we all can benefit.

Dear Ajmal,

I think some portion of Indian HR employees are exploited by corporations (especially at the start of their careers). I would like to share my experiences working with some companies.

1. I am working for more than 48 hours a week on average, with no incentives or overtime pay for the extra work.
2. My Sundays and weekdays are not off if required by the organization, and that "if" comes quite frequently.

Just sharing my opinion, I would prefer to have good and justifiable compensation rather than job security. Some of my friends also share this concept. Hopefully, if I am competent and accountable, no employer would want the idea of losing me.

Regards,
Thesysthink

Hi Thesysthink,

I am working for more than 48 hours a week on average with no incentives or overtime for extra work. My Sundays and weekdays are not off if required by the organization, and that 'if' comes quite frequently. Just sharing my opinion, I would like to have good and justifiable compensation rather than job security. There are my friends who share my concept. Hopefully, if I am competent and accountable, no employer would like the idea of losing me. Very happy.

I second you on that. Most of us face this, and most of us would like to have our share of free time for our family or other work, including me. However, I know quite a number of people who work extended hours, though not required by the company, just because they are more interested in it than doing some other work. So again, it is subjective. All I wanted to point out is that it is subjective, and the weightages method gives us an appropriate tool to get an answer.

Dear Ajmal,

Sorry, I just skipped that. Yes, I think we should have some weightages or at least a scientific methodology to do a valid cost-benefit analysis. That was just sharing my experience. I was talking about the injustice that I dislike the most in the organization. Have you ever heard HR working on Information Systems? (In addition to core responsibilities)

However, in my opinion, things should not be taken for granted. If somebody is working beyond scheduled hours, it does not always mean the employee is exploitable.

Am I emotional? Please pardon me for that.

But I would like to add, not all companies do that. Ethics are still kept.

Dear Vishal, thanks for your encouragements.

Regards,
Thesysthink

I agree with all of you. Indian employees are exploited by Indian companies. They are also exploited by the foreign customers of the Indian companies.

This, however, is a gross generalization. Let me focus on the IT industry.

People from Indian software companies working in banks in the UK as consultants work Saturday and Sundays. They work overnight on night shifts; they work long hours at times. The money is made by the company, whereas the consultant's salary is the same and lower than what a Britisher would get in the UK. They are not eligible for overtime, neither do they get the extra component for working at night. Indian software companies, to appease their paymasters, do not even get timesheets signed for the extra work done for the customer.

If more than 50 years back India was ruled by the British, many Indian IT companies are ruled by the Western world.

In India - where are the champions for work-life balance? I remember working 16 hours a day without anyone asking me to, and at times, people asking me to without extra pay. We also spoil the system as individuals. We do not stick to principles. If we do it en masse, then the culture will be forced to change.

I would thus not blame the employers in India 100%, but definitely 75%.

Where are the champions for work-life balance and fair wages in India today?

Dear HR Manager,

You are right. I am really new in the domain of HR and started getting bitter experiences. I worked with a consultancy where I got the position of Practice Lead (a fancy, decorable name). We were opening a new SBU for which I had to do the vendor management, installation of servers (because my boss thought I could do it, and I did it). One day, it was beyond my limit to take it because I spent 28 hours in the office. The first question my boss asked after arriving was, "Oh! It's good, but when are you coming back?"

I am sure all companies are not just like that. However, I am trying my best to enter into Business Analytics or Research, leaving HR. This will be my protest to the exploitation. I know this is probably not the correct way, but a person must survive to excel.

In certain cases, especially in some HR consultancies, there is 100% exploitation.

And this is just my perception. Organizations just cannot exploit a person because he (or she) had the courage to be honest. In my company, I now know about a salary difference of 1.5 times when compared to a person working in the same capacity (my capacity), with lesser qualification and equal productivity.

This is, of course, the story at the bottom level.

But yes, this is life. 😄

Regards,

Thesysthink

I have been closely following the entire discussion and still believe that it is a subjective matter. Though most of you have said that we are being exploited, the word "exploited" itself is debatable.

Think about it this way. In case you have started your own company, how many hours are you going to put into it initially to make it a success? Most of us will not count the hours at that time.

Like Mr. Thesysthink said, "In certain cases, especially in some HR Consultancies, there is 100% exploitation."

I have worked with such organizations for quite some time, and I believe that even I was not given sufficient leaves, worked more than 12 hours (almost daily), and was not paid at par with other industries. But I knew one thing: the business depended on me to a large extent, and if I did not give my time, the company would not grow at the targeted rate. The simple logic states that if the company is not going to grow, how can you expect the benefits that bigger companies give from a smaller company, which generally runs on much limited resources?

Here again, exploitation (if you call it so) is in smaller companies. You generally don't see that in bigger and well-established organizations, and this is a global phenomenon. You simply cannot pinpoint Indian companies on this issue.

Dear Ajmal,

The employment laws in the US and the UK are very stringent towards work-life balance. When you work outside your contractual hours, you get overtime. In most companies in India, you are expected to work outside your working hours without pay. I took the specific example of the Indian IT Industry, where 90% of the developers are exploited. I work for a 6000-strong company, and I am aware of companies with sizes of 30,000 and 45,000+. Work-life balance and laws related to that are yet to be fully implemented in India.

Thank you.

Hi Sankalp,

As far as the laws are concerned in India, we have laws which state that a person should be paid overtime if they work for more than 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. We also have laws regarding EL, weekly offs, compensatory offs, CLs, and national holidays.

I believe that even in India, the laws are quite stringent, especially in traditional industries where they are well implemented, such as manufacturing. For example, Dr. Reddy's Lab pays overtime and shift allowance to its employees working in production.

At certain levels, employees are on call 24 hours a day by the company. This is also the case in the US and UK, where employees are contacted on their cell phones even when they are on holiday with their families outside the city or country. This is necessary because certain company activities depend on them and cannot be delegated to someone else.

My friend in the UK sometimes works for 12-18 hours and does not get paid overtime. The same happens with me here. So, where is the difference?

If we consider it from the company's perspective, we would understand why a particular person is given more work.

To reiterate, any exploitation, if you would call it so, is usually carried out by less established companies in all countries, whether in India or abroad, and is generally not prominent in established organizations.

Hi all
This a extract from "The Best Companies To Work For In UK" by Sunday Times and the below mentioned company was rated at number 3.
By 45-55 hours in a week [for five days a week] it comes out to be around 10 hours a day... do you still think that is exploitation...

Dear Thesysthink/Ajmal,

I was out of the loop, but now I am back. I agree that consultancies are a breeding ground for exploitation. There was a time when I thought I would go to the Human Rights Commission against my employer. Now, I have settled a bit. Carry on the good work.

Regards,
Love you all,
Vishal

Dear Colleagues,

I would try as much as possible to reason in a way supporting Dr. Jogeshwar's thought process.

Sincerely, labor is a matter of supply and demand which, like any other industrial need, has a price at any particular time.

This should take us to the international labor market place where diverse people are scrambling for jobs around the world. It becomes the issue of the fittest surviving.

For instance, India has crossed the 1 billion human-being mark. It is better imagined the number of university graduates within this population and the same number of available jobs/vacancies within its borders. Hence, the avalanche of its people migrating/navigating towards places where their services would at least be required, no matter at what fee. We might seem to be exploitative, which to me is relative.

On the whole, I do not see Indian labor as being exploited. I see it as conquering. Come to the telecoms industry in my country, they have virtually taken over this territory as well as software development and implementation.

For the American labor market, it is a matter of who can give the best concession as per wages and obtainable income. While the American might want an income that would cover all his luxuries, the Indian immigrant does not mind letting go of all these seemingly funfares and sticking to the basics.

Thanks.

Hi, I agree. Today, our professor also discussed this issue, saying that it's only in India where there is exploitation, and the stats presented here are correct.

Can I ask, is managing the Human Resource a satisfying job (or one of the satisfying ones)? Can I get everyone's personal view...

He is a British citizen [but of Indian origin]. He migrated to the UK around 3 years back.

Well, I was going through this article "The Best Companies to Work For" and there are a lot of things mentioned on that website about how companies go out of their way to attract/retain their employees. One of the companies is able to retain its employees even though they have extended working hours. So, saying that extended working hours equates to exploitation is a wrong notion.

Even the best company to work for in India (most of us would like to work for them) includes the Reliance Refinery. Even there, the employees often work over and above their scheduled time. However, they are quite happy with the working conditions and the pay they receive for it.

Of course, Indian employees are exploited due to the grace and virtue of the Indian managers and the HR managers who are only the "Slave Display" of the management and are indebted to them to save their own service.

Just think, a German girl was raped in India, and the Government of Germany asked for justice when her friend reported the incident to them. To utter surprise, the Indian government was also prompt to seek justice. Now, just imagine how many Indians are literally exploited by any means in the German multinationals who are denied justice, even though they are tortured and harassed. This can be presented in a concrete way.

We Indians are responsible for our exploitation, just the same as the Britishers could rule us. Few of our fellow men joined to be grateful to serve them.

It's not the company that exploits, it's the management and the team leads who exploit. The senior managers and even the HRs don't see that there is a special privilege given to the employees who belong to the TLs' state and speak the same language as the TL. Why blame the company? It's the people who exploit their colleagues. What's your opinion on this?

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Yes, I agree totally. In India, labor laws are not strict enough to provide job security. The same applies to private companies, especially Garment Units and small-scale industries that exploit workers to the maximum. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are the main culprits in this scenario. Initially, they do not hire full-time workers; only a few are made permanent employees. Most of the work is carried out by contract staff who are paid minimal salaries with no job security either.

S. Joshi