Principles of Employee Welfare
Employees' welfare is dependent on certain basic principles. The following are the principles on which the successful implementation of welfare programs depends:
1. Adequacy of Wages
Employees' welfare measures cannot be a substitute for wages. Workers have a right to adequate wages. However, high wage rates alone cannot create a healthy atmosphere nor bring about a sense of commitment on the part of workers. A combination of social welfare, emotional welfare, and economic welfare together would achieve good results.
2. Social Liability of Industry
Industry, according to this principle, has an obligation or duty towards its employees to look after their welfare. The Constitution of India also emphasizes this aspect of employees' welfare.
3. Impact on Efficiency
This plays an important role in welfare services and is based on the relationship between welfare and efficiency, though it is difficult to measure this relationship. Programs for housing, education and training, the provision of a balanced diet, and family planning measures are some of the important programs of employees' welfare which increase the efficiency of the workers, especially in underdeveloped or developing countries.
4. Increase in Personality
The development of the human personality is given here as the goal of industrial welfare which, according to this principle, should counteract the baneful effects of the industrial system. Therefore, it is necessary to implement employees' welfare services both inside and outside the factory, that is, provide intramural and extramural employees' welfare services.
5. Totality of Welfare
This emphasizes that the concept of employees' welfare must spread throughout the hierarchy of an organization. Employees at all levels must accept this total concept of employees' welfare, or the program will never really get off the ground.
6. Coordination or Integration
This plays an important role in the success of welfare services. From this angle, a coordinated approach will promote a healthy development of the worker in his work, home, and community. This is essential for the sake of harmony and continuity in employees' welfare services.
7. Democratic Values
The cooperation of the worker is the basis of this principle. Consultation with, and the agreement of workers in the formulation and implementation of employees' welfare services are very necessary for their success. This principle is based on the assumption that the worker is "a mature and rational individual." Industrial democracy is the driving force here. Workers also develop a sense of pride when they are made to feel that employees' welfare programs are created by them and for them.
8. Responsibility
This recognizes the fact that both employers and workers are responsible for employees' welfare. Trade unions, too, are involved in these programs in a healthy manner, for basically, employees' welfare belongs to the domain of trade union activity. Further, when responsibility is shared by different groups, employees' welfare work becomes simpler and easier.
9. Accountability
This may also be called the Principle of Evaluation. Here, one responsible person gives an assessment or evaluation of existing welfare services on a periodical basis to a higher authority. This is very necessary, for then one can judge and analyze the success of employees' welfare programs.
10. Timely
The timeliness of any service helps in its success. To identify the employees' problem and to discover what kind of help is necessary to solve it and when to provide this help are all very necessary in planning employees' welfare programs. Timely action in the proper direction is essential in any kind of social work.