Towards work-life balance

Tata Starbucks has announced a 5-day week for its baristas. What does it mean for the brand and the business?

Mumbai

Maulik, a five-day week is a luxury in India. While multinational companies and corporate organisations have chosen to go for a five-day week in the past, front-facing entities such as retail, banks, distribution-oriented companies, and the quick service restaurant (QSR) category have stayed away from this.

The key idea is that these front-facing categories are everyday and at times every-working-hour businesses. These businesses cannot afford to relax and offer a five-day work week.

The Starbucks India decision is a new and possibly refreshing one. In many ways, this decision sets the cat among the pigeons. Now, every QSR player employee will crave, salivate, want and quote this example.

Decisions such as these are typically taken as an employee retention and an employee work-life balance improvement move. It displays employee care.

India and Indians typically work longer hours than a lot of countries globally. In recent years this has been an issue of debate. Employee burnout and wear-and-tear issues have been discussed to death on this count.

The Starbucks India decision comes with at a cost. A 52-week additional off for a barista every year will mean that for every seven baristas there will need to be a new recruit. This creates an additional job at an additional cost. In all likelihood, that hot cuppa you will savour at a cafe will bear an additional employee cost.

To an extent this decision has a branding opportunity attached to it as well. Starbucks can position itself as an entity concerned with employee work-life balance. It can make you pay an additional buck for this initiative as well. After all, would you not like to be served that frappuccino of yours by a happier Barista? Touché!

Does all the trouble that Vijay Mallya find himself in affect brand Kingfisher?

Kolkata

Arup, strangely not at all.

The kind of trouble that Vijay Mallya finds himself in is really not of a complete criminal nature. The man ran a business, he invested in aviation, he borrowed money from banks which lent him with collateral they thought was valuable. Vijay Mallya built a top-class airline brand. The business floundered. The business collapsed. He defaulted on bank loans.

Each of these affects the personal brand of Vijay Mallya. None of them touch the power brand Kingfisher he has built. You will still guzzle your favourite beer brand without a thought of all that is happening. Consumers, in many ways, have a way of distancing the individual from the brand.

Harish Bijoor is a brand strategy expert and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. Mail your questions to cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in

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