An Indian gaming company is taking a new approach to work-life balance by fining workers who message their colleagues about work-related issues outside of normal working hours.
Calls outside of normal work hours are a common occurrence for many in the professional world, a problem exacerbated in India by comparatively low wages and intensive work schedules.
Dream11, a company with over 1,000 employees valued at $8 billion, will fine workers 100,000 rupees, or $1,200, if they contact their colleagues with work-related messages during their time off.
Under the policy, called Unplug, employees are given seven days free of all office-related activity and information. During their Unplug time, workers are logged out of all work-related messaging platforms like Slack.
The new policy comes at a time when, especially in Western countries, workers are becoming increasingly interested in healthy work environments and practices.
Remote work has become increasingly popular in the United States as it allows workers to be more flexible with their schedules and, in some cases, be more productive than they are in the office. According to a FlexJobs survey, at least 65% of respondents supported a full-time remote work model.
The prospect of a four-day workweek has also drawn significant interest in Western countries. The advocacy group 4-Day Week Global notes that at least 85% of U.S. adults approve of reducing the work week from 40 to 32 hours.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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