Are India's Workplaces Truly Accommodative Of Women's Needs, Wellness?

India recently witnessed the devastating loss of two women due to what their peers allege was 'work pressure'. Pune's Anna Sebastian Perayil, an accountant at the Big Four firm Ernst and Young (EY), died in July 2024, due to cardiac arrest reportedly caused by extreme stress. In a shockingly similar incident in Lucknow, HDFC Bank employee Sadaf Fatima collapsed at her desk on September 24 while she was allegedly dealing with excessive work pressure. 

These cases have sparked a discussion around the demands of corporate culture, which is often disproportionately harsh on women. From long working hours to crammed-up deadlines coupled with the liability to 'break glass ceilings', women are often burdened with relentless expectations in the workforce.

Studies Show Women Face Excessive Pressure At Workplace

Anna Perayil's mother, Anita Augustine, wrote an email to EY India's chairman, criticising the company’s merciless workplace policies. The grieving mother cited their overwhelming pressure, frequent night shifts, and lack of work-life boundaries as the reason behind the 26-year-old employee's tragic demise.

A probe by the Maharashtra labour ministry even revealed that EY India's Pune office had been operating without a mandatory permit under the state's ‘Shops and Establishments Act’ since 2007. The Act asserts that the maximum working hours for adults are nine hours each day and 48 hours per week.

EY India's lapse is not an unknown phenomenon to India, where the corporate world has long been criticised for overworking employees. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), an average woman in India works at least 55 hours per week, which is the longest in the world.

The ILO data showed that women working in IT, communication, or media sectors, put in 56.5 hours a week, which is more than 11 hours a day for the standard five-day workweek. Indian female scientific and technical employees work on average 53.2 hours a week, while the world average is 40 hours per week.

The biggest burden of work is shouldered by younger women, the ILO report states. In IT and media, young women clock in 57 hours a week, and scientific and technical women work for 55 hours a week. Women in most other countries reportedly work an average of 38-42 hours a week, studies show.

This data underscores the lack of respect for work-life balance in many Indian workplaces, which is additionally adverse on women due to societal and familial expectations. It is also important to note that this report only pertains to the organised sector, where work conditions are relatively more regulated.

The situation is likely to be more severe for women working in the unorganised sector where they face additional vulnerabilities such as no fixed working hours, lack of formal contracts and job security, limited access to benefits like maternity leave or healthcare, and often even social discrimination.

Why India's Work Culture Is Skewed

SheThePeople spoke to Pooja Sharma Goyal, the Founder and CEO of The Udaiti Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at enhancing the quality of women's experiences in the workforce. She revealed the problems that Indian women face go far beyond the typical workplace pressures.

Pooja shared that women in India perform overtime as they often face the pressure to 'prove' their competence and combat gender stereotypes. Then, outside the workplace, women bear the burden of unpaid domestic labour and care duties, which takes a toll on their physical and mental well-being. 

"They feel stretched beyond their limits, trying to juggle these dual roles without adequate support or recognition successfully," Pooja expressed. She asserted the need for more robust policies that not only support women professionally but also acknowledge their personal or social responsibilities.

Pooja stated how basic facilities like childcare can be an asset to working parents. "While the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 mandates every workplace with more than 50 employees to provide creche facilities, we are far from compliance," she cited. "These systemic problems require systemic solutions."

At the recent Women, Wellness & Wins event by SheThePeople and Gytree, author Aruna Nambiar discussed why India's workplaces are often unconducive for women. Gender discrimination, lack of caretaker support, insufficient wellness resources, etc. often hinder women's professional growth, she said. 

"There is no question that women are an asset to the workplace, but employers need to recognise that and recognise what needs to be done to keep women at work," Nambiar asserted. She added how basic facilities like a childcare centre at the office or a caretaker can take away significant pressure from working parents, specifically mothers, who often step away from the workplace due to maternal responsibilities. 

Why Are Women Expected To Walk The Path Alone?

The expectation for women to navigate their careers while managing extensive domestic responsibilities often places an overwhelming burden. Speaking at Women, Wellness, & Wins, distinguished human resources professional Aarthi Sivaramakrishnan highlighted how this impacts women's well-being. 

"We tend to demonise the choice of a woman," Sivaramakrishnan expressed. "The onus to be in the rat race is on women. It's a woman's responsibility to hang on and get through [the pressure] and she faces burnout faster than anybody else. However, if a woman chooses not to be a part of the rat race, she is questioned why. She is told, 'Oh you're wasting your talent, you should monetise your hobby,' etc. There is never a 'Let me be' approach for women, whatever choice they make."

In this regard, Sivaramakrishnan pointed out how more women in decision-making roles can reel in a more inclusive, supportive, and sensitised workplace environment. "Organisations where empathetic leadership is displayed strongly and consistently can keep women at work," she noted.

As women continue to shoulder disproportionate pressures, employers must foster environments that prioritise their well-being and recognise their contributions. Dismantling gender barriers and introducing more policies to sustain women not only support employers but also contribute to the growth of the workforce.