IIM ROHTAK H U M A N E - R CLUB P re s e n ts
H R BULLETIN VOLUME 121
humane.r@iimrohtak.ac.in
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
HR BULLETIN
How to create a pregnancy-friendly workplace? Wondering how to make your workplace more pregnancy-friendly? Here are some tips for creating a supportive and accommodating environment for expecting employees. Several women continue to work during their pregnancy. It might be due to the rise of nuclear families, empowerment ideals, social pressures arising out of empowerment notions and economic pressure. For all these obvious reasons, pregnant women, who choose to work during their pregnancy, stay at the workplace for most of the working hours and there is a high possibility for them to experience tremendous stress and anxiety during their work hours, which may manifest during their final phase of pregnancy or post pregnancy. Although firms have initiated remote work options for pregnant women, they may not avail of these flexible options as they experience pregnancy discrimination at the workplace, such as reduced/denied opportunities, and they are often perceived as weaker or less competent candidates. To date, the Indian government has institutionalised several maternity benefits for pregnant women, considering the significance of women's employment in upscaling the Indian economy. On the one hand, maternity leave policies are being amended from time to time to ensure that women are eligible to take sufficient rest before and after delivery and to take care of the newborn baby without compromising their job.
2
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
Paid maternity leave has been increased to 26 weeks and prenatal leave to eight weeks. Further, to promote gender equality at work as well as at home, fathers are also given paternity leave so that the responsibilities are shared between the newly-born parents. However, on the other hand, WHO reports that 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 pregnant women experience mental health issues, especially in India. Of course, there is no doubt that the government administers policies and wellness programmes to ensure the well-being of women. For instance, apart from the medical leave that has hugely benefited pregnant working women, initiatives from the Indian government such as Janani Suraksha Yojana have ensured greater accessibility to facility points for pregnant women in general. Even organisations have come up with several schemes, including Flexi maternity leave, gender-neutral maternity leave, sabbaticals, maternal counselling and flexible work arrangements. Long before the pandemic struck the world, the ICICI had launched Iwork@home to encourage women to work from home during their critical life phases, one of them being a mother. The Milady application launched by Mindtree helps pregnant employees to stay engaged with the organisation during their maternity leave. In addition, maternity-related topics were discussed in the application to help them manage the transition and return to work without much hassle. However, these wellness programmes are not universally introduced by all organisations. Either the benefits stay dispersed and fragmented or they remain only as voluntary initiatives introduced by a few organisations, which provide specific benefits to cater to the needs of pregnant women during a particular pregnancy period. Considering the benefits of these initiatives and the constant need to also look at the entirety of the pregnancy period rather than a particular time during the pregnancy, national policy for pregnancy-friendly workplaces can be a game changer for improving the mental health of pregnant women and also the retention of women in the workforce post-pregnancy. Leisure time at the workplace One of the most strongly suggested measures to improve the mental health of pregnant women is leisure intervention. Say, Indian classical ragas are found to improve foetal development and nourish the mother’s mental as well as physical health. Sufi or Kalyani, music holds strong religious and spiritual values apart from the entertaining quotient it affords to the listeners. Organisations can introduce music therapy in the workplace for pregnant women so that it not only helps them reach a peaceful mental state but also provides sufficient psychological separation from the work hassles. The workplace is the real second home While studying the relationship between leisure interventions of pregnant women and their prenatal attachment, I, along with my co-researcher, found that leisure activities, especially leisure reading, greatly help pregnant women bond with the baby. Pregnant women in their second and third trimesters were surveyed and the results showed that these women experienced joy, flow, and transcendence whenever they indulged in leisure reading. These positive leisure experiences enhanced their subjective vitality and further, encouraged them to psychologically bond with the baby. Several studies and mythological tales claim that babies psychologically interact with their mother when she reads constructive materials. The babies in the womb can even pick up languages through sounds. The findings also suggest that positive cues are easily picked up by the babies when their mothers indulge in reading mindful books. While the crèche facilities have been made compulsory to take care of the babies when women work, it is also equally important to take care of the baby and the mother before delivery. Therefore, the current benefits of the Maternity Act will be greatly effective, if the government also considers introducing leisure time during work hours so that pregnant women can enjoy their pregnancy and the workplace will be their real second home. Workspace design and space investments can be made keeping in mind the pregnant woman and the baby’s psychological bonding. Employees are the storytellers She may consider the workplace her second home because of the workplace leisure and relaxation therapies. However, her home would be empty without family members…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employeeengagement/how-to-create-a-pregnancy-friendly-workplace-35894
3
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
Fintech firm Worldline India to induct over 200 engineering talent from 2023 batch The digital payments firm plans to train and induct engineering talent across its Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai offices from 2023. Digital payments firm Worldline India has announced the plan to onboard top engineering talent from college campuses across parts of India from the 2023 batch. As part of its “Paytech Pioneer Programme,” the 17-year-old company will induct and train over 200 trainee engineers in its Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Chennai offices. The training programme is part of the company’s plan to increase its total headcount to 3,000 in three years. The new joinees will be given training on-the-job for skill sets like Java, Dot Net, C++, Testing, PHP, Python, MYSQL, Postgres among others. The Mumbai-based fintech company would be visiting colleges for pre-placement talks starting September 2022. As per the plan, the fresh graduates will be evaluated basis three rounds of the selection process which would include an online test, aptitude & logical evaluation, technical managerial aptitude & skills, candidates having BE/B-Tech – CS/IT with six and above CGPA till final semester 70% & above in grades 10 and 12 will be considered for the qualifying rounds. The participants of the programme, known as ‘payment pioneers’, will be working on developing key skills. These would include executing full software development life cycle, gathering requirements, documenting and proposing solutions, maintaining the code quality, reliability and redundancy, troubleshooting, debugging and enhancing existing systems. Post their training, they will be onboarded as ‘Worldliners from July 2023. Jose Raj, Senior Vice President and Head – HR, Worldline India and APAC said, "We deeply value, engage and interact with young talents and it is one of the reasons we are recognised as employer of choice. We believe young talent will bring fresh perspective to an organisation as we continue to shape new ways of paying, living, and doing business.”…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/trainingdevelopment/fintech-firm-worldline-india-to-induct-over-200-engineeringtalent-from-2023-batch-35877
4
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
How upskilling and reskilling can lead to higher employee retention Are your employees feeling trapped in a career dead end? Career growth is proving to be a significant factor in getting employees to stay with you, one report suggests. Offering employees the opportunity to learn and develop their skills can help employers build and retain their staff, a new study says. Of the more than 600 employees interviewed by HCM software group Paychex, 63% said they were more likely to stay with their current organisation if they were given better opportunities to learn. The result highlights the need for companies to provide robust educational and career-building programs for staff. While some employers have been offering L&D opportunities to their employees, such programs are mostly given to full-time, in-office workers. Remote, hybrid, and part-time staff often do not have the same opportunities as their regular, office-based counterparts, according to the study. Paychex HR Services Director Alison Stevens believes work experiences for employees have become much more varied than before. This is true even between staff serving in similar roles. “We’re seeing skills gaps grow as employees increasingly get to choose working arrangements that fit their lifestyles,” Stevens said. “With employees yearning for more educational and career-building experiences, employers will need to pay attention to the differences between these groups to curate programs that keep employees engaged and stimulated regardless of their time in an office.” Support from employers Most of the respondents (64%) said they either agree or strongly agree that they are satisfied with the career advancement opportunities given by their employer…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/skilling/how-upskilling-andreskilling-can-lead-to-higher-employee-retention-35934
5
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
6
Indifference to your workers will cost you Don't be afraid of being emotionally invested in your teams. Being indifferent to their needs has far greater consequences, research suggests. Employees are leaving their jobs despite satisfaction in their work life because of changing work priorities in the new normal, one study suggests. Once these workers feel that their employers don’t meet their needs or that they’re emotionally indifferent, they’re more likely to look for another job and leave for another employer. A study by Dale Carnegie and Associates showed how business leaders can create a human-centred system that enables companies to retain employees, especially in the new hybrid workplace. Researchers analysed the relationship between employee engagement and retention rates at work, showing a map that could address the shifting needs of employees during this era of employee empowerment. Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie and Associates, pointed out the need for organisations to build an emotionally connected workplace where employees can feel engaged with leaders and their work. “To grow employee engagement, every level of leadership needs to forge a genuine emotional connection between employees and the organisation,” Hart said. The CEO emphasised how emotional engagement can be key to making employees feel more comfortable and satisfied in their working environment so that they’re more likely to stay in the company. The study showed how seven in 10 engaged employees believe that their working environment is safer, compared to just one in five among 'indifferent' employees who think so. Hart added how investing in an employee-centric work system has been proven to make employees feel more secure, more confident and more hopeful about work, according to their findings. Leaders who motivate indifferent employees and provide emotional engagement can show their care, and this in turn can push a meaningful shift in the company’s work culture…
Read more at:https://www.peoplematters.in/news/employeeengagement/indifference-to-your-workers-will-cost-you-35930
6
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 121
How does gender pay gap impact women in retirement? Women attain just 74% of the wealth accumulated by men at retirement, reveals a new global study from WTW. A startling difference between the wealth accumulation of men and women at the point of retirement persists - and all around the world. On average, women are expected to reach retirement with just 74% of the wealth accumulated by men, reveals a new global study from WTW. Asia Pacific has one of the lower global wealth gaps on average for gender wealth equity. The 2022 WTW Global Gender Wealth Equity report shows that in Asia Pacific (APAC), women are expected to accumulate just over three-quarters (76%) of men’s wealth levels, two points above the global average. For mid-level professional and technical roles, the gap was still substantial at 69%, but it narrowed considerably to 89% for frontline operational roles. Within APAC, the findings show considerable differences in expected wealth accumulation at retirement and progress made towards gender wealth equity across the region. Across the 12 markets in the region, the gender wealth gaps range from 64% in India to 90% in South Korea. Six markets included in the analysis have a higher wealth index at retirement for women compared to the global average, and among them are China (78%), Japan (82%), Philippines (79%), and Singapore (79%). Women also tend to assume childcare responsibilities at a young age, resulting in financial impacts from which there is limited capacity to cover. Compounding this is the fact that long-term financial decisions generally rest with men and financial literacy for working women tends to be lower. “The results from our global analysis are startling. It shows that there is a gender wealth gap consistently across the 39 countries that we studied…
Read more at: https:https://www.peoplematters.in/article/compensationbenefits/women-attain-just-74-of-mens-wealth-at-retirement-35929
7