If you are cynical about the grand mission/vision statements framed in corporate boardrooms, you are totally justified.
Dear young friend, if you are feeling trepidation or are disturbed after hearing about the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, it is understandable. Honestly, it is heartbreaking. I read her grieving mother, Anita Augustine’s letter to the CEO of her employer; it is poignant and written with heartfelt candour. I believe she speaks for millions of parents, who anxiously wait to talk to their young ones over the weekend, as the latter burn the midnight oil to build their careers.
This is an opportune moment for plain speaking, as I am part of the corporate universe. First a disclosure: I have, in the past, also been a hard-wired workaholic, and I did experience burnout which had health consequences for me. So, I guess I have earned the right to share with you my views on the subject.
If you are cynical about the grand mission/vision statements framed in corporate boardrooms, you are totally justified. CEOs are obsessed with their quarterly performance results. Also, with rapid change, short-termism is in; it is the employees who become collateral damage. Anna appears to have been a victim of this radioactive environment. The irony is that most of us CEOs are high on platitudes: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is a popular cliché. But when it comes to the bottom line, many of us are guilty of treating our teams like “resources” instead of real people. Orders for summary sacking of people to boost profits and satisfy shareholders is the primal obsession of most business honchos. But as a young recruit with a brilliant career ahead of her, how can you challenge this ossified workplace dynamic?
Firstly, please don’t fall for the headline-making statements of a Jack Ma or other biggies: The 996 work culture and 70 hours a week, etc. Avoid like the plague corporations that treat work-life balance as an irritant to a “growth mindset”. They have got their priorities wrong. Secondly, CEOs and senior managers are not gods; they have feet of clay, like everyone else. Challenge them. The reason companies are increasingly callous in their workforce management is that India has a huge jobs crisis; the excess supply makes the negotiating room lopsided. But that does not mean that companies can ignore the cardinal rules of engagement. I think this is the perfect time for constructive employee activism; India’s young deserve a voice in office environments or culture audits. An offsite to a beach destination, Diwali sweet boxes, Secret Santa gifts, and birthday cake-cutting, with all their good intentions, do not suffice. What one needs most is to be heard. If the corner office does not heed your requests, you have your task cut out. Freshers invariably get a raw deal; they are viewed as dumpsters and told that they need to do whatever is asked, ostensibly to “make them rock-solid” for the future. This is a load of rubbish, as Anna’s case exposes. You can’t afford to have a repeat of that. But you have to break eggs to make an omelette; speak up and do so fearlessly. Managing stress is a last resort; why should you be forced into that predicament in the first place? Rest assured, however, that most leaders will take cognisance of the repercussions of what happened to Anna. Her sad death will be a catalyst for change. We owe her that. The time for cosmetic lip service to employee health is over.
The highest intangible cost that no one measures is the mental health toll on the employees of a poisonous office space; you will spend the best years of your life working, and thus, cannot afford to compromise here. The corporate brand may look prepossessing from the outside, but what matters for you is what is going on within. Periodically ask yourself: Is it worth it? What matters most is that you should feel respected, there should be a red line your boss cannot cross without your explicit permission, your holidays should be sacrosanct, and your values should never be up for a trade-off. If your conscience says “no”, just quit (companies bleed when attrition rises). It will be the best thing you will have done.
No one should ever take you for granted. No one. I think Anna would like that.
The writer is chairperson and managing director, Dale Carnegie India, Walchand PeopleFirst Ltd
