Most PSU employers expect employees to be available 24/7: survey

A large proportion of public sector employees surveyed in India feel that their employer expects them to be available at all times than those who work in private organisations, according to the Randstad Workmonitor Survey 2012 – Wave 1.

The survey found that a majority of employees (72%) working in the government sector felt that their employer expects them to be available at all hours. This is far higher than the sentiment felt by those who work in private organisations (59%).

The survey also showed work life and private life are intertwined for a vast majority of the Indian workforce. Around 80% of employees surveyed said they receive work related phone calls and e-mails during outside office hours. Also, a majority of employees (74%) feel they receive more information than they can process. By age, while the above finding is true among the age groups 18–54 (75%), a lesser proportion of employees in the age group 55–64 (59%) feel that they receive more information than they can process.

"Technology has to a large extent increased work efficiency, but the downside is that it has also simultaneously created a 24/7 intrusion in the private lives of employees. Western economies have understood the significance of work-life balance and the employers there have consciously created processes to address this challenge," E Balaji, MD & CEO of Ma Foi Randstad said.

Among all the countries surveyed, India has the highest global mobility index of 142, meaning that Indian employees were the most open to going abroad for jobs than other nations. The mobility index is least in Luxembourg at 82 indicating least employee churn. The index for US and UK are 106 and 105 respectively, implying moderate employee churn.

The survey covers 30 countries around the world, encompassing Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The Workmonitor Mobility Index, which tracks employee confidence and captures expectations surrounding the likelihood of changing employers within a six month time frame, provides an understanding of job market sentiments and employee trends.