Hi, We are Proposing some policy changes in the view of work life balance. The proposed policy is, mentioned below:
1. Flexi Timing for all employess
2. No leave en-cash
3. No Over Time (staff)
I would like to know following.
1. Is it legal to declare No leave en-cashment?
2. Will it be taken (by employees) as a motivational tool to spend the time with family OR it will be seen as a cost reduction exercise?
3. No Over Time for Staff (Junior staff, below Asst Managers) - Any legal Implications? If someone is working more no. of working hrs, overtime needs to be paid to that employee? irrespective of the position he/she held?
Please share your views
Shreejesh

From India, Mumbai
Dear Shreejesh Mohan,

Organisation needs to think on work-life balance because of several reasons. One of the reasons is that employees are working beyond specified working hours. In that case have you studied who is staying extra and why? Is it because of less productivity or wrong systems and processes or inadequate manpower?

The second reason is that employees spend too much time in commuting. This is because of the traffic congestion on the roads. To some extent this is beyond the control of the organisation.

Replies to your question are given in italics:

1. Is it legal to declare No leave en-cashment?

Reply: - Make sure that all employees avail of their leave. Therefore, situation of leave encashment will not arise at all. At times due to excess workload, management is unable to spare employees for their leave. Hence they pay wages in lieu of the un-availed portion of the leave.

On the one hand we tell employees that leave is not their entitlement but privilege. Therefore, situation should not arise wherein manager/HOD refuses leave and HR/Management also refuses encashment of leave. In such situation employees could be left in lurch. Please take care of that
.

2. Will it be taken (by employees) as a motivational tool to spend the time with family OR it will be seen as a cost reduction exercise?

Reply: - Try this new policy and take a survey on the new policy. It would be difficult what would be difficult to anticipate the outcome of the survey.

3. No Over Time for Staff (Junior staff, below Asst Managers) - Any legal Implications? If someone is working more no. of working hrs, overtime needs to be paid to that employee? irrespective of the position he/she held?

Reply: - Why you are required to pay the overtime to the staffs? You have to pay them because they overwork. Control overwork and you will control overtime also. The reply to this question is somewhat similar to reply of the first question. Situation should not arise wherein manager forces the juniors to work extra and HR takes cover of the policy and refuses to pay the overtime. In this connection, I would like to bring to your notice my reply of past post on the overtime. Click the following link to read it:

https://www.citehr.com/262828-employ...e-problem.html

Final comments: - You have not specified the nature of your industry or what is your finished product or service. Neither you have mentioned what was the need of bringing policy on work life balance. Is it because of the fad of the 21st century or really you have done some organisational study. Thirdly, you have not mentioned whether you have implemented proven tool of "time and and motion studies". To measure the quantum of work this study is very important. Lastly, you have not mentioned whether the manpower planning is based on the measures of the performance of each department or it is based on the task/activities of the department. Former is far more important than latter. Work-life balance depends on the skills of the employees. To build the skills, you need to have learning culture in the organisation. What steps you have taken to promote the self-learning by the employees? How the knowledge gain is measured?

There are so many questions from our side, gentleman. Hope you answer these questions!

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar


From India, Bangalore
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