Dear young employees, hard work is not synonymous with overwork. Reread it before you are brainwashed into believing otherwise. The death of a 26-year-old woman, Anna Sebastian, due to Ernst & Young’s (EY) cutthroat work deadlines has triggered debates around unhealthy work culture in the corporate world. The incident takes us back to when Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, stressed the 70-hour work week for India’s youngsters. The idea sounds just as dreadful now as it did then, especially with the recent incident. This further calls for the need to guide young employees on how to draw boundaries in the corporate sector. So. here are some ways to ensure work-life balance as a new employee at any corporate firm.

Related: Anna Sebastian’s Tragic Death Due To EY’s Workload: Here’s What Redditors Reveal About The Big 4

1. Stick to 9-5

India’s Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 (updated Factories Act 1948) allows an employee to have overtime pay for working more than 48 hours a week. Are you getting paid for working beyond the set timeline? If not, stick to the assigned work hours of your contract or ask your manager to pay for the overtime.

2. Prioritise yourself

It’s not as selfish as the corporations like to make you believe it is. You must take time out for your family and yourself after working hours. After all, you have a life beyond work. Furthermore, turn off work notifications to focus on your personal life.

3. Learn to say no

The biggest lesson you can learn in the corporate world is to say no but do it respectfully. You can be firm yet polite in refusing an additional task that might overburden you and hamper the ones at hand. Moreover, if they reach out to you post-work hours, you should schedule the call for the next working day.

4. Communicate

Miscommunications lead to misunderstandings, which further breeds corporate toxicity. You should clearly convey your feelings about your co-worker’s behaviour or any confusion about your assigned tasks. Be it the way your manager gives you feedback or the way a colleague makes a joke, if anything makes you uncomfortable, let them know about it.

5. Reschedule calls, not meals

Skipping lunch breaks is unhealthy and affects the work you prioritise over the necessary meal hour. For instance, if you receive a meeting invite just before your lunch hour, ask them to reschedule so you can peacefully have your meal.

6. Stand up for yourself

Don’t shy away from calling out a senior colleague who repeatedly tries to ruin your image to save themselves in front of the boss. For example, if a manager makes a mistake but intentionally holds you accountable because you’re a newbie, talk to them about it.

7. Work your way out

A lot of times, your manager could assign you work that you did not sign up for just because you are a junior employee. However, if you are open to learning new things and want to take on additional tasks, consult your manager to ensure you are not overburdened. But if you don’t want to work on the task assigned to you because it falls outside your key responsibilities, decline the request to avoid further exploitation.

Major corporations in India mislead young employees through extended working hours in the name of growth and experience. It’s time to gain real work experience that doesn’t cost you your mental and physical health.

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