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I have been meaning to talk about this but then I thought it may sound very pessimistic. What a harbinger of change this pandemic has been especially in case of professional relationships! People have experienced revelations, epiphanies and even realized some hard facts during this time.

For example, my neighbour was a workaholic to the core. For him, his life began and ended with his job. For the last one decade, he was more bothered about his job than he was for his wife and children. He was the second in command and the first to be booted out when the pandemic happened. His boss very politely told him to either agree to half the pay or sit at home for ‘some time’. He realized that all those words of praise were actually hogwash and the people who actually did not work were having the last laugh. The people who did not work did not have any qualms about receiving half the pay because they as it is did not do anything.

Another friend agreed to work at half the pay since he could not afford to lose the job. However, even when he worked overtime but was told to not expect any increase for the next few years. He had no choice except to agree.

It is sad but in some places in India employers still behave like almighty lords and masters who have their workers at their mercy. For them, people who work hard for them are the least important because they know that they have little option to change. And employees of these peple treat them as such. When their employer talks to them, they treat them like royalty and the pandemic has only promoted this treatment. Maybe we haven’t gotten over the slave mentality even after decades of independence.

I know the pandemic has been hard in employers and employees alike. However, some employers have used it to take the easy way out. Thanks to the pandemic, they have the perfect excuse to ask employees to work for peanuts and reap hundred percent profit in the times to come. I wish employees could understand this game.