A Hollow System |
Today everyone talks about unemployment. Yes, unemployment is a serious problem. But there is another truth that we do not openly discuss. Nowadays, in the name of employment, confusion and silent exploitation are increasing.
Many organisations conduct Interviews. People are selected. Families feel relieved that their child has got a job. From the outside, everything looks stable. But after some time, reality starts dawning. There is no proper planning. There is no long-term financial stability. There is no clear system to sustain salaries.
Employees give their time, energy, and dedication. But salaries do not come on time. Sometimes they are delayed for months. Sometimes only partial payment is made. Sometimes there are only promises. From the outside, the person looks employed. But inside, they are financially insecure and mentally stressed. In some cases, this condition becomes even more painful than unemployment itself.
I have personally experienced during interviews that people whose worth is 50,000 rupees are hired for 20,000, and they agree because they need work. Those who deserve 30,000 or more are convinced to work for 12,000. Even PhD scholars are working at 10,000 or 12,000 in some organisations. This raises a serious question. Is this real employment?
When a qualified person is not paid according to their degree and experience, then whose exploitation is it? Is it the exploitation of the degree? Is it the exploitation of the individual? Or is it the weakness of the organisation itself because it does not have the capacity to pay what is fair?
There is another reality. When we go to buy clothes or household items, we bargain. We compare prices. We try to reduce the amount. This is normal in the market. But today, the same bargaining is happening with degrees and skills. Instead of asking what a person truly deserves, we ask whether they can work for less. If a highly qualified person agrees to a lower salary, it is considered a smart decision by the organisation.
But a degree is not a product. Skills are not goods that can be discounted. Practical knowledge is built through years of study, sacrifice, learning, and experience. From childhood education to professional qualification, a person invests time, money, and effort. Reducing that value through bargaining reduces the dignity of the individual.
If an organisation cannot pay according to qualification, it must question its own strength before hiring. Employment should mean fair payment according to merit. If saving money becomes more important than respecting human value, then it becomes employment in name only.
Sometimes organisations are started only for show, just to say that a business or institution has been opened. But a business cannot run only on hope. It cannot survive on assumptions like maybe things will work or maybe we will manage somehow. Risk is part of business, but risk without preparation becomes irresponsibility. Without financial planning, without backup funds, and without long-term vision, sustainability cannot exist.
Especially in the education sector, responsibility becomes even greater. If someone opens a school or educational institution, there must be at least one educationist or experienced teacher in the management. Education is not just a business. It builds society. A school cannot run only with a building and a name. It requires educational vision, qualifications, and real teaching experience. Without that foundation, the soul of the institution slowly fades.
Long-term planning is essential. There should be a clear five-year plan. Financial roots must be deep and strong. Salary payments must be secure. Backup funds must be available for difficult times. Sustainability means that even when challenges come, the organisation can stand firm and protect its employees.
Today inflation is increasing. The cost of living is rising. But payment according to skills is not increasing at the same pace. People are expected to upgrade their qualifications and improve their skills, but their worth is still negotiated. Slowly it feels as if even human effort is being bargained.
Giving employment is not just offering a position. It is a moral and social responsibility. True success of an organisation is not in its big building or impressive name. Real success lies in whether employees receive respect, timely salary, and financial security.
Let us build businesses. Let us build organisations. But let us also learn the ethics and responsibilities of running them properly so that we can move in the long run for the betterment of society and for the betterment of humanity.
If we talk about Psychological, Financial and Social Consequences of Fake Employment,
Fake employment not only affects income. It affects the entire personality of an individual. When a job increases debt instead of reducing it, the employee experiences continuous financial pressure. Responsibilities such as household expenses, children’s education, medical needs, and social commitments remain unchanged, but income becomes uncertain. This creates emotional instability and constant anxiety.
The pressure is not only financial. It becomes emotional, practical, and even physical. Sleep is disturbed. Confidence weakens. The individual begins to feel trapped between responsibility and helplessness. Over time, a person may start questioning their own worth. A qualified individual who is repeatedly underpaid may begin to feel that their degrees and skills have no value. Motivation decreases, frustration increases, and professional stability becomes difficult to achieve.
This frustration often leads to migration. When capable individuals do not find dignity and fair compensation in their own locality, they search for opportunities elsewhere. They leave their native place and contribute their talent to other regions or countries. While they may succeed there, their departure weakens local development. When our own youth and skills are utilised elsewhere because of unstable employment systems, society as a whole suffers.
Another serious issue is the lack of transparent salary structures and consistent policies. Freshers are underpaid in the name of inexperience. Experienced professionals are rejected in the name of being outdated or expensive. Policies change according to convenience, and employment contracts are sometimes modified after being signed. Such instability destroys trust and creates long-term insecurity.
True employment must provide stability, dignity, and psychological security. Without these, employment becomes a burden rather than a support system.
The author is a teacher by profession