Global movement aims to make workplaces happy

A branding consultant is spearheading what he calls the happy workplace movement.

Mukund Trivedy, who has worked for 23 years in the corporate world, was the main speaker at the HyWe conclave in Bengaluru on Friday.

The time has come to break the silence about unhappiness at the workplace, he said.

Other speakers were brand guru Harish Bijoor, Bikram Walia, director of human resources, Amazon India, and Sujit Patil, head of corporate communication, Godrej Industries.

They presented their personal mantras to achieve a ‘happy and high-performance workplace.’

Trivedy describes himself as a victim of emotional harassment at the workplace. “I have seen people suffering in silence,” he said at the conclave.

He narrated a story to show how bad things can be: “A lady called me up and said, ‘I saw your conclave video and I think my husband is suffering from workplace harassment.’ She said for three-four days in a week he doesn’t come home because he feels if he doesn’t complete his job he might lose it. With further probing I realised his boss had made him sign a resignation letter, undated. He dangles it at him and says if you don’t meet your deadline I will submit it to HR. He was so scared, the atmosphere at home was even worse. He doesn’t remember when he went out for dinner with family last time.”

Trivedy is conducting conclaves in Mumbai and Dubai as well.

Many workplaces are worse than Tihar jail, where the inmates are not afraid to talk to the jailer, he reckons.

“In an era of cutthroat competition, corporates have started seeing people as numbers. So it is like, ‘I have 500 employees and next month I have to reduce that to 200.’ Companies don’t care what will happen to those 300 people,” Trivedy said.

The pressure to maintain a high living standard is one of the reasons people live under constant harassment and exploitation at
workplaces, Trivedy said.

For Harish Bijoor, “A happy place needs to reinvent self and the first step towards it will be giving utmost importance to employees.”

What HyWe wants to do
First, create awareness with conclaves around the world.
In the second phase, work with research agencies and academic institutions to come up with a method to measure happiness at the workplace.
Finally, get the government to formulate policy to make the workplace happy.

Happy workplace
It is where employees are allowed to differ, disagree and ask questions. “I don’t think you can have a workplace where employees are made to compromise on their grit, respect and dignity.”
Trivedy