The road to sustainable careers has to be traversed by Governments, employers and employees together, says Abhishek Agarwal
A new concept, sustainable careers has been a part of various discussions since 2015. With so much upheaval recently, everyone is concerned about the employee-employer relationship and the role of Government to ensure the safety of employment. If we talk about the 2000s, then these years have witnessed the dotcom bubble burst, 2008 global recession, coronavirus, etc. Ups and downs are inevitable, but these developments affected millions and left the world to devise ways to minimise the emotional and financial loss to people.
If we look at the current scenario, around 41 lakh people lost jobs in India according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, there were not many job losses from the IT sector, which in a way has taken up the role of providing a sustainable career to the employees. With work from home option extended to the employees, the sector fared well by capturing the increased demand for digital.
First, look at the way the employment practices and the way people work has changed over the years. Many people complain about the intensification of work and employment becoming precarious; this leads to a vicious cycle where uncertainty in jobs can lead to destabilisation of the economy as people uncertain of future hold back from taking financial decisions and it also affects their productivity. The technological changes taking place require workforce to keep themselves updated, which means continuous learning like never before. It does require commitment from the workforce but it is not completely possible unless employers assure security in return.
A recent The7thFold’s Employee Wellbeing Survey 2020 says 50 per cent employees in India are worried about an uncertain future due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and 36 per cent employees are suffering from mental health issues. The survey further said that 40 per cent are stressed by personal finances and 40 per cent by career growth. In the light of these facts, the idea of sustainable careers gains urgency. So, how do you provide sustainable careers?
The road to sustainable careers has to be traversed by Governments, employers, and employees together. Employees have to work on the employability through constant learning and showing flexibility, improve job performance through up-to-date skills and psychological resources, and be able to maintain work-life balance by being able to accommodate personal needs effectively. The Government, along with the employers, has to invest in upskilling and development opportunities; come up with legislation and support systems that provide a sense of security for employees. Employers also have to pitch in with development opportunities, security in employment, and support system for non-work issues of the employees. Individuals also have to be responsible and understand that, apart from the employer and the government, it is their responsibility to invest in employability.
All stakeholders have to work together to ensure that careers are sustainable. In the current scenario, it is crucial to work towards it to keep companies and the economy competitive and build a healthy society.
The writer is Senior Vice President, Judge India