Mind Mantra: Mumbaikars Most Over-Worked in India

THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME CASES IN MY CLINIC HAD ALREADY TOLD ME ABOUT MUMBAIKARS EXTREME PHYSICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EXHAUSTION... TODAY'S TIMES OF INDIA PROVED IT WITH A CLEAR CUT RESEARCH ON THE SAME.

Work ethos is not for the faint-hearted and the results of a recent survey show that when it comes to taking days off from work to go on a holiday, Mumbaikars rank the lowest among other metro cities. Only 32% of employees in Mumbai surveyed said that they took 21-to 30 days off in a year. In comparison, Delhi employees have a more relaxed attitude: 37% of Delhiites said they take 21-30 days off a year. Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai stood at 34%. And even applying for leave is no guarantee that employees actually get to enjoy their planned vacation.Delhiites top the list with 68% saying that they have ended up cancelling or postponing a holiday in favour of work. They are followed by employees in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore: 61% admitted that they would cancel a holiday if work beckoned. Surprisingly, only 58% Mumbaikars said they would alter vacation plans.

The most preferred seasons for a holiday across the five cities were predictably, winter and summer. But here, too, there are differences here. While 46% of Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore employees prefer a summer holiday, 45% Mumbaikars prefer leaving the city in winter. Delhi employees gave almost equal preference to both seasons: 36 % of those surveyed chose winter, and 39% said they like to vacation in summer. Of course, the time is determined by family commitments, children’s holidays, etc.

The findings were part of a survey conducted by Expedia.com, an online travel portal. It looked at vacation habits among employees in 20 countries, including those from Indian cities. One of the reasons cited for not availing of all their paid leave is “lack of proper planning”. “Thirty per cent Mumbaikars survyed deprive themselves of leave as they don’t plan their vacations. On an average, 58% employees across five cities said they were unable to plan their vacation because of work schedules,” said the survey.

    On the other hand, for 29% Delhiites surveyed it was the fear of missing important work decisions that prevented them from taking leave.Delhi employees were found to be most fretful of their boss’s disapproval of paid leave, as compared to those employed in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. “Twentyfive per cent Delhiites felt their vacation would be perceived negatively by theiremployer. It was lower for Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore, all of which stood at 20%. It was lowest for Mumbaikars with only 15% saying that a holiday application was viewed with disapproval’’

    When it came to type of holidays preferred, 40% Delhiites said they prefer romantic vacations over typical beach holidays with family, friends, children, etc. Mumbaikars, despite living near the sea, prefer beach holidays to romantic vacations with only their partners. Even among employees in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, a higher percentage preferred a beach holiday.
    Mumbaikars find it easy to let go of work during a vacation. Over 56 % employees across all five cities, excluding Mumbai, said they regularly connected to work via emails or phone, while the corresponding number for Mumbai was 46%. “During a holiday, more than 50% employees from Mumbai rarely connect to work or never at all,’’ said the study.