How Would You Handle This HR Dilemma? Balancing Work Pressure and Personal Life Challenges

Case Study: Mr. Ratnadip Sahu's Work-Life Balance

Mr. Ratnadip Sahu (fake name for example) is a sincere worker at Puja Infotech Solutions (fake name for example) in Orissa. He has been working for 10 years in this organization. He usually arrives at the office by 9 a.m. and returns home by 5 p.m. After some time, he was promoted to head of the department and became overburdened with work pressure. Day-to-day, he grew frustrated with his working schedule and couldn't return home by 9 p.m. after finishing his tasks. He is married to Miss Smita Sahu, who is a bank employee.

Due to heavy work pressure, Mr. Sahu was unable to return home by 5 o'clock in the evening. Habitually, he became a drinker and visited prostitutes instead of going home. Consequently, his marital life was in trouble, but he remained an efficient worker in his office.

One day, his mother met the HR head and expressed grievances regarding her son's problem.

(a) As the HR manager, what suggestions would you offer to Mr. Sahu's mother?

(b) As a good HR practitioner, what HR ethics should be prepared to combat grievances like this?

(c) Is there a requirement for stress management or motivation classes for workers?

Can anybody please help me to have an answer?

Best Regards,
Deepak

According to me, in this case, there are two issues: first, workload, and second, the personal behavior of employees. I am separating alcoholism and prostitution from the workload concern because in today's fast life and cut-throat competition, most people face workload and work pressure, but they do not indulge themselves in alcohol and other bad habits. Now coming to your questions:

Suggestion to Mr. Sahu's Mother

(a) As you are the HR manager, what will be the suggestion to Mr. Sahu's mother? It's a tough question. I think there is a need for open communication between family members, and if required, the help of a doctor can also be sought to resolve the issue of alcohol and other vices. So, I will suggest you should advise the employee's mother to have an open discussion with the employee and seek help from a doctor if needed. Assure the mother that you will take necessary steps to address concerns about workload and pressure. You should recommend the employee participate in work-life balance and stress management programs.

HR Ethics to Combat Grievances

(b) As a good HR practitioner, what are the HR ethics to be prepared to combat grievances like this? I suggest you find out the cause of the employee's workload. If the cause is the quantity of work, then consider options such as adding headcount or redistributing work among existing staff during peak workload times. If the cause is related to the quality of work, provide training to the employee so that they can perform their tasks more effectively and efficiently.

Requirement for Stress Management

(c) Is there a requirement for stress management or motivation classes for workers? Yes, there is a need for stress management, motivation, and work-life balance training for all employees. This training should be a continuous process.

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