1. 2 out of 3 Indian companies want a phased roll-out of the new labour codes: Survey.
The industry seems to be receptive to the four new labour codes that the Government is planning to implement in the near future, according to the findings of a new survey released by the Karnataka Employers’ Association in conjunction with BCP Associates.
The four labour codes — Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Social Security Code and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code — are set to replace the 29 labour laws that exist in India.
The report was released virtually by Pratik Kumar, CEO, Wipro Infrastructure Engineering and executive director – Wipro Enterprises.
Delivering the keynote address, Kumar said, “The changes that the four codes are expected to bring about have been long overdue and it has been an industry ‘ask’. The codes aim to enhance the social security of the workforce and guide implementation of labour law compliance. They will cut down on significant systemic complexities and help accelerate economic growth. On their part, organisations need to revisit their HR policies and relook at their employee compensation structure. They have to conduct their own impact analysis and critically look at their own compliance practices.”
He adds that the new labour codes would have to strike a balance between enhancing social security and simplifying things in a manner that compliance becomes easy. One of the salient points of the codes is that they cut down on compliances, so that employers could focus on other aspects to a greater extent.
Madhu Damodaran, group legal head, Quess Corp, commented on the fact that the survey results showed that 700-odd employers are interested in the implementation. He was “Pleased that more than 57 per cent of the participants are ready,” and concerned that “43 per cent are not prepared”. He felt it was “High time stakeholders ready themselves for the impending change quickly”.
The report highlights some common sentiments from the industry bodies that took part in the survey. One of the key demands of the employers from the Government is to provide an adequate time frame to the industry to understand and implement the three codes without issues. Further, they expect to be provided with a financial incentive for a year or two to meet the increased cost of consulting, which companies may incur during the implementation.
2. India Inc. still to become truly inclusive: Survey.
Where do Indian organisations stand in terms of readiness for LGBTQ+ inclusion? How do members of the LGBTQ+ community feel at their workplaces in India? Will India Inc. be able to successfully create an accepting culture of inclusion in the future? These are just some of the questions that a recent survey by Randstad tried to find answers to.
The members of the LGBTQ+ community feel that their identity tends to get lost under the guise of neutrality at the workplace. The environment becomes less attractive when intrusiveness is often interpreted as curiosity. Even in workplaces where discrimination is not externally evident or visible, there exists a somewhat underlying toxic culture which makes members of the community feel less than comfortable.
There is also lack of clarity when it comes to whom to approach or seek help from in case there is discrimination or bias. While formal policies are in place, they have not been advocated aggressively. Matters become worse when no penalties are imposed on employees who fail to comply with the organisational policies. There is lack of sensitisation, and therefore, unless adequate internalisation happens, homophobia will not vanish, but will merely remain just below the surface.
True inclusiveness, members of the community feel, will come only if the members are considered for leadership roles and core roles, and not expected to only lead LGBTQ initiatives. They wish to be appreciated for their willingness to learn. The community suggests that instead of focussing on fancy diversity and inclusion (D&I) content and forums, D&I should be made part of the organisational DNA. The best way to do this is by having more members from LGBTQ+ community in then leadership rank.
Other facilities and benefits that would make workplaces more inclusive are gender-neutral washrooms, insurance/health cover for same sex partners, competitive salaries, and so on.
3. Meghalaya government extends upper age limit for employment.
The Meghalaya government has extended the upper age limit for those seeking employment, from 27 to 32 years. For those from Scheduled Tribes (ST), the age limit is now 37 years.
“In a historic move, the Cabinet has decided to relax the upper age limit for candidates applying for government services by 5 years. This will, however, not be applicable for certain departments like Police which require physical fitness as a criteria,” the CM announced in a tweet.
Earlier, the United Democratic Party (Meghalaya) President, Metbah Lyngoh had said that increasing the age limit for the youth is important because a lot of them have reached the age of maturation and cannot apply for the jobs even though there are vacancies available for various posts. He also asked the government to take into account the time that got wasted during the pandemic while making a decision.
The CM also added that to focus on the health sector at the village level, cabinet has approved the policy for Village Health Councils (VHCs) that are aimed at refining community engagement to achieve the goals of the State Health Policy passed in 2021.
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