Mental breakdown

When one is a teacher, lecturer, or a university professor – one simply cannot ‘switch off’ after coming back home because there is a lot of work that needs to be done after the scheduled hours at the institution are over. The responsibilities of those in the academic field extend beyond the classrooms. The average institutional duties of faculty members may go up to 8 or 9 hours a day – after which they engage in lesson planning, preparing notes, corrections, collation of attendance and research activities. Putting in these extra hours, while help maintain the academic standard of the institution and the quality of teaching, put a significant pressure on the faculty – who may find themselves struggling for work-life balance. The working week for academic staff extends significantly beyond 48 hours per week. This is further worsened when institutions do not grant the faculty a two day weekend, leading to burn out, adverse health conditions and reduction in productivity. 

Saturday (along with Sunday) leave for teachers 

Academic teaching staff, like all other professionals, require and deserve both mental and physical rest. This need is not met when the only designated holiday is a Sunday. As many in the academic field may attest, Sundays may often get spent in preparation for the week ahead – leaving them no personal or family time. The notion of leisure, which is dismissed as a luxury today, is an essential part of human life and is needed for sustained intellectual performance and emotional well-being. With many countries moving to four-day work weeks, it is crucial that people in decision making positions for University level education in India understand that longer working hours do not equate to better productivity, and that a well-rested teaching staff may be more refreshed to put in the hours from Monday to Friday. 

Teachers and Professors friendly HR Policies 

It was reported by the International Labour Organization in 2024 that Indians work an average of 47 hours per week, which is among the highest in the Asia – Pacific region. This figure did not account for the time spent in commuting, as well the unfortunately normalized culture of work calls, emails and texts even after the working hours that is prevalent. Indian universities and colleges must understand that the academic staff are entitled to weekends in practice – where they can replenish, reenergize, spend time with families, finish other chores and go back fresh to the profession they love so much, even though it demands so much from them – teaching, research and mentorship. If Indian Universities truly want to reach global standards, they must follow the practices that ensure that their academic staff are protected by high quality Human Resource management policies that prioritise the well-being of their staff and normalize a two day weekend.