PSUs worse than pvt firms expect employees to be available 24X7, shows survey

A large number of public sector employees surveyed in India feel their employers expect them to be available at all times, according to the Randstad Workmonitor Survey 2012 – Wave 1. The survey found that a majority of employees (72 per cent) working in the government sector felt that their employers expect them to be available at all hours. This is far higher than the sentiment felt by those who work in private organisations (59 per cent).

The survey also shows that work life and private life are intertwined for a vast majority of the Indian workforce. Around 80 per cent of employees surveyed said they received work-related phone calls and e-mails beyond office hours. Also, a majority of workers (74 per cent) feel they receive more information than they can process.

While the above finding is true among the age group of 18 – 54 (75 per cent), a lesser proportion of employees in the age group of 55 – 64 (59 per cent) feel that they receive more information than they can process.

“Technology has to a large extent increased work efficiency, but the downside of it is that it has also simultaneously creating 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 workers in other nations. The mobility index is least in Luxembourg at 82, indicating least employee churn. The indices 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 timeframe, provides an understanding of job market sentiments and employee trends.