law

1. PAPER SIX: LABOUR WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY
MODULE FIVE: QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL)
• INTRODUCTION:
• INITIALLY, ORGANISATIONS GAVE MORE IMPORTANCE TO MACHINES AND TECHNOLOGY FOR
INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY. THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEES/HUMAN FACTOR WAS NEGLECTED. THE
NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES WERE GREATLY IGNORED BY MOST OF THE EMPLOYERS.
• THIS CREATED A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AMONG THE EMPLOYEES.
AS TIME PASSED, THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN FACTOR (EMPLOYEES) IN IMPROVING
PRODUCTIVITY WAS RECOGNISED.
• IT WAS REALISED THAT EMPLOYEE SUPPORT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH TECHNICAL
INNOVATIONS. THE POOR QUALITY OF LIFE AT WORKPLACE HAD TO BE DONE AWAY WITH.
• BY LATE 1950s, IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT THIS INTEGRATION OF SOCIETAL/EMPLOYEE SUPPORT
WITH TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH “QUALITY OF WORK LIFE”
PROGRAMMES.

2. QUALITY OF WORK LIFE………………………
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) DENOTES/REFERS TO ALL THE ORGANISATIONAL INPUTS WHICH
AIMS AT THE EMPLOYEE’S SATISFACTION AND ENHANCING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) ALSO REFERS TO FAVOURABLENESS OR UNFAVOURABLENESS OF
THE JOB ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE.
• ACCORDING TO DAVID A NADLER AND EDWARD E LAWLER, “QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF WORK ON PEOPLE AS WELL AS ON ORGANIZATIONAL
EFFECTIVENESS, AND THE IDEA OF PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEM SOLVING AND
DECISION MAKING”.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) AIMS AT INTEGRATING THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF
PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION, THE UNIQUE REQUIREMENTS OF A PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY,
THE STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES OF THE ORGANISATION, AND THE EXISTING SOCIO-CULTURAL
MILIEU.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) IS IN SHORT CONCERNED WITH THE OVERALL CLIMATE OF WORK.

3. SPECIFIC ISSUES IN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
SALIENT FEATURES/ MAJOR CONCEPTUAL CATEGORIES CONNECTED WITH
QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
• {GIVE ONE DEFINITION OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE}
• ACCORDING TO Prof. RICHARD E WALTON, THE FOLLOWING ARE THE SPECIFIC ISSUES IN QWL:
• 1. ADEQUATE AND FAIR COMPENSATION
• 2. SAFE AND HEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONS
• 3. IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO USE AND DEVELOP HUMAN CAPACITIES
• 4. FUTURE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUED GROWTH AND SECURITY
• 5. SOCIAL INTEGRATION IN WORK ENVIRONMENT
• 6. CONSTITUTIONALISM OR THE ‘RULE OF LAW’ IN THE WORK ORGANISATION
• 7. WORK AND THE TOTAL LIFE SPACE
• 8. THE SOCIAL RELEVANCE OF WORK LIFE

4. SPECIFIC ISSUES IN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
SALIENT FEATURES/ MAJOR CONCEPTUAL CATEGORIES CONNECTED
WITH QUALITY OF WORK LIFE…..Continuation…………………..
• QUALITY IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS AN APPROACH OR METHOD USED FOR
IMPROVING WORK. MULTIFARIOUS CRITERIA SUCH AS-
• FAIR COMPENSATION, HEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR
DEVELOPING SKILLS, CONTINUED GROWTH AND SECURITY, CONDUCIVE WORK
ENVIRONMENT, PROTECTION OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS, SOCIAL RELEVANCE AND
BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE, ALL WILL ADD ON TO AND
RESULT IN QUALITY.
• COMMITMENT TO A QUALITY CULTURE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY
INDUSTRY/ORGANIZATION. THUS QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IS VERY IMPORTANT
FOR ANY INDUSTRY OR ORGANIZATION.

5. QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AND PRODUCTIVITY
EFFECTS OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
• {GIVE ONE DEFINITION OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE}
• IT IS A WELL ESTABLISHED FACT THAT QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN
IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY IN ORGANIZATIONS. QWL HAS VARIOUS POSITIVE EFFECTS.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE GREATLY HELPS IN INFLUENCING EMPLOYEES TO GET INVOLVED WITH
JOB. THUS QWL HELPS IN NURTURING JOB INVOLVEMENT OF EMPLOYEES TO A MUCH HIGHER
LEVEL.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE HELP IN INCREASING/CREATING A SENSE OF COMPETENCE AND FEELINGS
OF CONFIDENCE. QWL CAN RESULT IN HIGH JOB SATISFACTION AND HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE RESULT IN INCREASED JOB SATISFACTION AND A FAVOURABLE FEELING
AMONG EMPLOYEES. THIS RESULTS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE, LOWER RATES OF LABOUR TURN
OVER AND DECREASE IN ABSENTEEISM, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.

6. QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AND PRODUCTIVITY
EFFECTS OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE…………Continuation……….
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) RESULTS IN INCREASED JOB PERFORMANCE AND
HIGHER JOB PRODUCTIVITY.
• AN ANALYSIS OF THE ABOVE DISCUSSED POINTS REVEAL THAT ALL THESE
ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.
• THUS THERE IS A CLOSE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AND
PRODUCTIVITY.

7. BARRIERS IN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE or HINDERANCES TO QWL
• {GIVE ONE DEFINITION OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL)}
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE HAS MANY ADVANTAGES. HOWEVER, IN MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING
INDIA, STILL MANY NOT BE READILY/EASILY ACCEPTABLE IN SOME INDUSTRIES/ORGANISATIONS.
• MANY EMPLOYERS MAY NOT CARE FOR QUALITY OF WORK LIFE. IT IS RELATIVELY A NEW
CONCEPT AND NEED TO BE POPULARISED IN COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA.
• IN INDIA, MANY SMALLER INDUSTRIES LACK PROFESSIONALISM IN INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT.
THUS QUALITY OF WORK LIFE (QWL) IS NOT VERY WELCOME.
• IN MANY CASES, IT IS NOTICED THAT THE MINDSET OF THE WORKERS ARE NOT VERY IMPORTANT
AND HUMAN FACTOR IS STILL NOT WELL RECOGNISED.
• AVAILABILITY OF CHEAP LABOUR IN ABUNDANCE, LACK OF STRONG, EFFECTIVE TRADE UNIONS,
LACK OF GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE IN IMPOSING QWL, LACK OF AWARENESS REGARDING THE
VARIOUS BENEFITS OF QWL-ALL ACT AS BARRIERS IN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE.
• QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY IN INDIA.

8. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
• {GIVE ONE DEFINITION OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE}
• A NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE INVOLVED IN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE.
• IN IMPROVING QUALITY OF WORK LIFE, VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS FINANCIAL PACKAGE, JOB
SECURITY, INTERESTING WORK, EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS AFFECTING HIM/HER ETC. HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
• THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME STRATEGIES COMMONLY ADOPTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF
IMPROVING QUALITY OF WORK LIFE:
• 1. FLEXIBILITY OF WORK SCHEDULE:
• EMPLOYEES WOULD PREFER FLEXI TIME (FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS),
• STAGGERED WORKING HOURS (DIFFERENT TIME INTERVALS TO BEGIN AND END WORK)
• COMPRESSED WORK-WEEK (MORE HOURS OF WORK PER DAY AND LESS NUMBER OF WORKING
DAYS)
• ALL THESE CAN BE A MOTIVATING ASPECT, WHICH GOES A LONG WAY IN IMPROVING QWL.

9. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
• 2. AUTONOMOUS WORK GROUP:
• THIS WILL HELP IN CREATING POSITIVE FEELINGS AMONG EMPLOYEES. AUTONOMOUS WORK
GROUPS INCLUDE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN TEAMS, CHOICE OF METHODS OF WORK
etc. WHICH CAN BE A MOTIVATING FACTOR IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF QWL.
• 3. JOB ENRICHMENT:
• DESIGNING THE JOB IN A WAY TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING IS ANOTHER
MEANS OF IMPROVING QUALITY OF WORK LIFE.
• DEGREE OF JOB ENRICHMENT DETERMINES THE DEGREE OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE.
• 4. OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH:
• WITH REFERENCE TO EMPLOYEES, OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH REFERS TO GROWTH THROUGH
ONE’S WORK WHICH IS ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTED. IT REFERS TO PERSONAL GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY, WHICH IN TURN CAN MAKE THE WORKER FEEL MORE
COMMITTED TO JOB.

10. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE
• 5. PARTICIPATION:
• PARTICIPATION OF THE WORKERS IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS CONNECTED WITH HIS/HER
WORKING, RESULTS IN HIGHER DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION WHICH WILL INCREASE QUALITY OF
WORK LIFE.
• 6. COMMUNICATION:
• TWO WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT AND THE EMPLOYEE IS VERY MUCH
NECESSARY FOR A SOUND QUALITY OF WORK LIFE. THUS SPECIFIC, RELEVANT COMMUNICATION
STRATEGIES, WHICH IS TWO WAY, NEED TO BE NURTURED FOR A SOUND QWL.
• 7.OTHER STRATEGIES:
• WORK PLACE FREE FROM STRESS AND ANXIETY. OPTIMUM BALANCE BETWEEN FAMILY AND
WORK-THROUGH SEVERAL CHOICES SUCH AS OPERATING FROM HOME/WORK FROM HOME,
VIRTUAL OFFICES, AESTHETICALLY APPEALING OFFICE SPACE, ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY
BUILDINGS, OPENNESS, TEAM WORK, ORGANISING CELEBRATIONS, MUSIC AND ART WORK, etc.