Q. At 9 pm on Saturday evening, Rashika, a Joint Secretary, was still engrossed in her work in her office.
Her husband, Vikram, is an executive in an MNC and frequently out of town in connection with his work. Their two children aged 5 and 3 are looked after by their domestic helper. At 9:30 pm her superior, Mr. Suresh calls her and asks her to prepare a detailed note on an important matter to be discussed in a meeting in the Ministry. She realises, that she will have to work on Sunday to finish the additional task given by her superior.
She reflects on how she had looked forward to this posting and had worked long hours for months to achieve it. She had kept the welfare of people uppermost in discharging her duties. She feels that she has not done enough justice to her family and she has not fulfilled her duties in discharging essential social obligations. Even as recently as last month she had to leave her sick child in the nanny’s care as she had to work in the office. Now, she feels that she must draw a line, beyond which her personal life should take precedence over her professional responsibilities. She thinks that there should be reasonable limits to the work ethics such as punctuality, hard work, dedication to duty and selfless service.
(a) Discuss the ethical issues involved in this case.
(b) Briefly describe at least four laws that have been enacted by the Government with respect to providing a healthy, safe and equitable working environment for women.
(c) Imagine you are in a similar situation. What suggestions would you make to mitigate such working conditions?
Question from UPSC Mains 2023 GS4 Paper
Model Answer:
The case highlights the ethical dilemma between absolute dedication to public service and the fundamental human need for work-life balance, family care, and personal well-being.
1. Ethical Issues Involved
- Public Duty vs. Familial Obligation: Balancing professional mandates with moral responsibilities toward young, vulnerable children (Deontology vs. Care Ethics).
- Lack of Leadership Empathy: The superior’s failure to respect personal boundaries reflects a deficit in Emotional Intelligence and compassionate management.
- Administrative Burnout: Normalizing extreme overwork risks physical and mental exhaustion, ultimately undermining long-term public service efficiency.
- Gender Penalty: The disproportionate systemic burden placed on working mothers striving to balance career ambitions with traditional domestic roles.
2. Four Laws Ensuring Safe and Equitable Workplaces for Women
- Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: Mandates 26 weeks of paid maternity leave and compulsory crèche facilities in establishments with 50+ employees.
- POSH Act, 2013: Institutionalizes Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) to guarantee a secure, harassment-free professional ecosystem.
- Code on Wages, 2019: Subsumes the Equal Remuneration Act, legally prohibiting gender-based discrimination in wages, recruitment, and career advancement.
- OSH & Working Conditions Code, 2020: Strictly regulates working hours and mandates explicit employer-provided safety protocols and consent for women working night shifts.
3. Suggestions to Mitigate Harsh Working Conditions
- Implement a ‘Right to Disconnect’: Formulate workplace guidelines barring non-emergency official communications after office hours and on weekends.
- Effective Delegation: Decentralize task allocation using digital workflows (e-Office) to prevent systemic over-reliance on individual officers.
- Leadership Sensitization: Mandate organizational behavior and Emotional Intelligence training for senior bureaucrats to foster supportive work cultures.
- Institutionalize Flexi-Work: Promote hybrid working models and flexible hours for officers with young dependents to maximize both welfare and productivity.
True public service demands sustainable administration. Aligning professional integrity with Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” of work-life balance ensures long-term administrative efficiency, employee motivation, and ethical governance.
