Work-Life Balance Considerations
Organizations need to think about work-life balance for several reasons. One reason is that employees are working beyond specified working hours. In that case, have you studied who is staying extra and why? Is it because of less productivity, wrong systems and processes, or inadequate manpower?
The second reason is that employees spend too much time commuting due to traffic congestion on the roads, which to some extent is beyond the control of the organization.
Replies to your questions are given in italics:
1.
Is it legal to declare no leave encashment?
*Reply:* Make sure that all employees avail their leave. Therefore, the situation of leave encashment will not arise at all. At times, due to excess workload, management is unable to spare employees for their leave, hence they pay wages in lieu of the un-availed portion of the leave. On the one hand, we tell employees that leave is not their entitlement but a privilege. Therefore, the situation should not arise wherein a manager/HOD refuses leave, and HR/Management also refuses encashment of leave. In such situations, employees could be left in a lurch. Please take care of that.
2.
Will it be taken by employees as a motivational tool to spend time with family OR will it be seen as a cost reduction exercise?
*Reply:* Try this new policy and conduct a survey on the new policy. It would be difficult to anticipate the outcome of the survey.
3.
No Overtime for Staff (Junior staff, below Assistant Managers) - Any legal implications?
*Reply:* Why are you required to pay overtime to the staff? You have to pay them because they overwork. Control overwork, and you will control overtime as well. The reply to this question is somewhat similar to the reply of the first question. The situation should not arise wherein a manager forces the juniors to work extra, and HR takes cover of the policy and refuses to pay the overtime. In this connection, I would like to bring to your notice my reply to a past post on overtime. Click the following link to read it:
https://www.citehr.com/262828-employ...e-problem.html
Final Comments
You have not specified the nature of your industry or what your finished product or service is. Neither have you mentioned the need for implementing a policy on work-life balance. Is it because of the fad of the 21st century or have you really conducted some organizational study? Thirdly, you have not mentioned whether you have implemented the proven tool of "time and motion studies" to measure the quantum of work, which is very important. Lastly, you have not mentioned whether the manpower planning is based on the performance measures of each department or if it is based on the tasks/activities of the department. The former is far more important than the latter. Work-life balance depends on the skills of the employees. To build the skills, you need to have a learning culture in the organization. What steps have you taken to promote self-learning among the employees? How is the knowledge gained measured?
There are many questions from our side, gentleman. Hope you answer these questions!
All the best!
Regards,
Dinesh Divekar