Up to Every Individual to Find Work-Life Balance
Outlook Business|November 2024
Former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai tells Deepsekhar Choudhury that managers determine how employees are treated in an organisationnot the CEO. Edited excerpts
Up to Every Individual to Find Work-Life Balance

What is your assessment of the EY case in which an employee died allegedly because of high workload?

EY is a very good company. It has a great reputation. It seems that in this case, the manager may have been lackadaisical and may not have behaved in the correct manner. The chairman should have been sensitive. The least the chairman could have done was to say, 'We express deep regret for what has happened. Our company does not accept this kind of behaviour by any manager. We will set up a small group to investigate it [the incident] and make sure to understand what happened. And if there is a problem, we will stamp it out. This is not our culture.'

Instead, he made a very insensitive statement and that further inflamed the public. It’s very important that all enterprises send a strong message from the top that ‘Look, we have to have a good work ethic and a good work culture’. And when people are in pain, you have to show sympathy and empathy.

Do you think a toxic work culture comes straight from the boardroom?

In my opinion, having seen companies for the past 40 years, there could be toxic managers who are driving the employees very hard and not treating them well. But a CEO doesn’t drive everybody in the organisation. Human resource [HR] managers have to make sure that employees are treated fairly. And there is no exploitation of an employee for getting work done much beyond certain limits.

Managers have to treat people well. They must ensure that if employees are sick, they can take time off…make sure their personal needs are taken care of and make sure they lead by example.

Should the government intervene with policy?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2024 من Outlook Business.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2024 من Outlook Business.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من OUTLOOK BUSINESS مشاهدة الكل
From Chandni Chowk to Global Recognition
Outlook Business

From Chandni Chowk to Global Recognition

For Manish Aggarwal, director at Bikano, Bikanervala Foods, the family business was not just a responsibility but a passion he took to the global stage

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Spotting AI Scams
Outlook Business

Spotting AI Scams

Al has become an integral part of our lives, from customer service no insurance claims. But it is also becoming a tool for fraudsters who use it to scam individuals and corporations

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom
Outlook Business

Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom

On the banks of the Ganges in industrial Kanpur, a start-up has blossomed that turns waste flowers into incense

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
BATTERY LOW
Outlook Business

BATTERY LOW

India produces enough green energy to power many of its largest cities yet lacks the storage to use it efficiently. A nation blazing forward must leap ahead in battery technology to stay on course

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
We Have Everything Going for Rajasthan
Outlook Business

We Have Everything Going for Rajasthan

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajasthan’s industry and commerce minister, tells Pushpita Dey why the state is suited to become a hub for investments.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
Dairy and Other Dilemmas
Outlook Business

Dairy and Other Dilemmas

India’s refusal to open its dairy market has complicated trade negotiations for years. As global partners demand concessions, is the cost of protectionism outweighing benefits?

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
Riding in a Maze
Outlook Business

Riding in a Maze

As gig workers ride into an uncertain future with little more than a smartphone and a bike, the government is struggling to arrange a socialsafety net. But millions without social security is recipe for disaster

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
BIRLA'S BIGGEST BATTLE
Outlook Business

BIRLA'S BIGGEST BATTLE

As Kumar Mangalam Birla completes 30 years at the helm of the Aditya Birla Group, he has a battle to defend his businesses and conquer new ones

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
THE INNOVATION LEAP
Outlook Business

THE INNOVATION LEAP

India dreams of becoming a product nation. But unless the corporate sector significantly increases spending on R&D, the country will continue to lag behind global peers

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
EDUCATION BUDGET MUST DOUBLE EVERY 3 YEARS
Outlook Business

EDUCATION BUDGET MUST DOUBLE EVERY 3 YEARS

Veezhinathan Kamakoti, a renowned academic and director of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, tells Deepsekhar Choudhury on what technology sovereignty means for India and how it can propel the country towards its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025