How Long Working Hours Led to a Tragic Incident: What HR Can Learn from This Gurgaon Case

Dear all,

The attached news clipping is from today's TOI. After reading the headline, one may not read the news, dismissing it as a routine domestic clash or for not being "positive news." However, when one reads the news and applies one's mind, it is discernible that the reason for the clash between a couple was the long working hours of the husband or his inability to spare sufficient time for the family.

There is a lesson for HR professionals or even the top management from this incident.

The forced social separation and long working hours take a toll on the mental health of the employees or their family members. Many HR professionals often raise queries on how to engage the employees when they work from home. The immediate reply to this query is that in order to improve employee engagement, steps should be taken to curtail the extra working hours of their "home-office." There is a need to find out why employees are working beyond their working hours, how many extra hours they work every week, and why they are doing it.

The working hours beyond their normal limit cause work-life imbalance. This imbalance has taken a toll on the life of an IT professional in Gurgaon. Rather than feeling momentary pity for the children of the couple and moving on with the consideration that it was that company's problem, HR professionals can take a cue from the incident and uncover the issues pushed under the carpet. Life is unpredictable, and unforeseen events like these lay bare the dirt under the carpet.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Impact of Work-from-Home on Family Life

Very sad incident. This is the situation even though it is work from home. Many career-conscious executives are unable to spare any time for their families, and due to lockdown conditions, there is hardly any social avenue available to vent their feelings. Things have escalated to such a level that fights have become common, and finally, there is a loss of life. Who is to be blamed now? I think many owe responsibility, and HR has to give a lot of thought to improving the situation.

With the lockdown, there is seamless working, and many with international clients find the stretch of working hours unbearable.

All sympathies to the hapless children and the poor family.