CODE SWITCH

How will the hospitality industry adapt to proposed labour law tweaks making 48-hour per week mandatory along with three days of consecutive holidays?

- VINITA BHATIA

Calling the ‘9 to 5’ work culture dead, Salesforce recently offered employees three new ways of working. While few staffers will come to office daily, the ‘flex’ option allows employees to come in up to three days a week. Some can even choose to work remotely full time, even when it's safe to return to the office.

Even Spotify unveiled its ‘Work from Anywhere’ programme, stating a “workplace isn’t built on the premise that employees need to gather in an office with traditional desk setups.” Personnel at the music streaming company can work entirely from home or in the office, or in a combination of the two.

The two companies join the league of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft, which have shifted to flexible work hours. In addition to safeguarding their employee’s health during the pandemic, these organisations believe that remote working can boost productivity, performance, and overall business health.

Closer home, Labour Secretary, Apurva Chandra, recently stated that companies in India will not be allowed to increase working hours beyond the mandated 48-hour limit per week. Employees will also get three days of consecutive holidays. Ranjith Premraj, Director of People and Culture at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru tells Vinita Bhatia how this is likely to play out in the hospitality industry where long hours is a norm.

Will the proposed labour law codes work in the hospitality industry?

We are awaiting more guidelines on this matter to gain better clarity. My takeaway is that there is a flexibility on how 48 hours a week can be implemented, and that the three consecutive holidays is not mandatory.

Our industry is known for sudden fluctuations and a need for quick thinking on the feet. Business forecast, even if done well, is prone to high or low pressure periods.