Senior executive titles in some corporate environs still bring in designer perks like personal washrooms and exclusive kitchens, discovers Shilpi Madan
I was chomping puri aloo in the spiffy white canteen when I spotted a private dining area complete with a meticulously laid out table and sturdy wooden chairs at the far end. My friend, Anjali Parmar*, part of the company's human resources team, followed my gaze and remarked, "That dining area is exclusive to the senior management. The top bosses have a wing to themselves too with their cabins, separate washrooms, meeting spaces and enjoy exclusive club memberships."
Parmar's office isn't an aberration. Many organisations still make a big deal about graduating from the peasant to the pasha level. As you move up the ladder, some reward you in unusual ways. Like allocating you an exclusive washroom. If you have been promoted to a key title in the organisation, you and you alone will also hold the key to a personal loo, probably far, far away from the prying eyes of the ordinary washrooms that the other mortals use.
"I could hardly contain my disbelief when my boss handed me the key to a personal washroom, announcing smugly that now I was officially a part of the management," laughs Surina Dev*, a former magazine editor. She is truly a woman of substance for having steered clear of ever using the earmarked space. "I don't even remember where I tossed the key. I probably even forgot to return it," she says. "Of course, the appreciation indicator, as the 'perk' was tagged, would have been more appreciated as a salary hike."
"Such preferential treatment is rather unfair," adds banker Bharat Desai*. "It is a classic case of khyaal aapka only. The higher level executives have a separate canteen, exclusive kitchen, dedicated servers, personal trainers in the office gymnasium with personalised diet plans, access to state-of-the-art machines to work out on, wellness programmes et al.
"Sometimes, our immediate bosses come down from their 'floors' to interact with us and eat at the regular canteen. Hum hai na," he laughs.
"I believe there are ways of easing in the perks. For instance, at luxury hotels, the general manager and seniors can dine in any of the restaurants they want to. The rest of us have to eat in the cafeteria that is specifically meant for employees only," says Mira Malhotra*, a senior communications manager in the hospitality industry. "But on the flip side, most times, the GM and seniors would be dining with long stay guests, or with international media persons. It's like rolling in work."
So it is a double edged sword, yet a workplace divide that is visible mostly in India. Says Sonal Nair, learning and development consultant with leading brands, "I would dub such 'perks' as British Raj remnants. We are knitted in a global village and the new age work culture carries a thrust on engagement and team building through an open door policy rather than on stuffy policies that crown a few. It is important to let go of outdated structures and move on."
(*Names changed on request)
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