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While many organisations introduce switch-off policies, not many may be able to sustain them. For MOFSL, the ability to maintain 91% compliance for over 1.5 years came down to embedding accountability across the business, CHRO Niren Srivastava shares.
In a sector where real-time markets, client demands, and constant connectivity define the pace of work, building a culture that encourages employees to switch off can feel counterintuitive. But for Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited (MOFSL), the move was less about reducing hours and more about rethinking performance itself.
"At the core, we were addressing productivity and wellbeing together, not as separate ideas. The two are deeply interconnected," Niren Srivastava (pictured above), Group CHRO, MOFSL tells Priya Sunil. “If people are expected to perform in a high-intensity environment like financial services, they need to be mentally, emotionally, and physically fresh."
From burnout risk to leadership priority
Operating in an "always-on ecosystem", the organisation recognised early that burnout was not confined to specific roles or seniority levels.
"To sustain performance in such an environment, we realised that burnout is not a leadership issue or a seniority issue, but a human issue. Anyone, regardless of role or level, can experience it. That realisation became the starting point."
Crucially, the organisation had to be mindful not to delay the decision to act in pursuit of ideal timing.
"Honestly, there is never a 'perfect' moment. But leadership requires action – it’s always better late than never. Waiting would only compound the problem.
"So the question was not when, it was how consciously we act."
Moving beyond policy to practice
While many organisations introduce switch-off policies, not many may be able to sustain them. For MOFSL, the ability to maintain 91% compliance for over 1.5 years came down to embedding accountability across the business.
"Culturally, we were clear that this could not be owned by HR alone. Managers and business leaders had to take equal ownership," the HR leader explains.
That shift was reinforced by redefining what performance looks like.
"Once the purpose was understood, leaders actively reinforced a shift in mindset where long hours were no longer seen as a sign of commitment or badge of honour. The focus moved to productivity, quality of work, and customer outcomes, with a strong belief that focused eight-to-ten-hour workdays deliver far greater impact than prolonged presence."
This behavioural change was consistently role-modelled by leadership and HR teams across regions.
On the structural side, alignment was key. "We aligned HR, administration, leadership teams, and business heads to ensure consistent execution. Managers were expected to model the right behaviours, and any recurring patterns of late working were addressed through data-based discussions and accountability."
As Niren affirms, regular reporting created visibility into work rhythms, therefore enabling timely intervention and sustained discipline.
Debunking the productivity myth
One of the most persistent concerns around switch-off cultures is the perceived trade-off with performance – but MOFSL’s experience seeks to challenge that assumption.
"There has been zero negative impact on productivity," the CHRO states.
He adds that the model remains flexible, allowing for business-critical exceptions. "Whenever there is a genuine business requirement, be it client needs, market volatility, critical projects; exceptions are enabled quickly through HR."
At the same time, structured boundaries remain intact for the majority. "Around 93% of employees operate within the structured framework, while senior leadership (AVP and above) remains fully accessible, ensuring continuity and customer focus. We are committed to clients where and when they need us, without compromising people wellbeing."
What has been the business impact of this? According to Niren, the biggest impact seen has been on the Wealth Management business, which witnessed a 10% reduction in attrition.
Defining 'real' wellbeing
Beyond switch-off practices, MOFSL has taken a multi-dimensional approach through its integrated My Wellness programme, spanning physical, mental, social, financial, and emotional health.
First, on the physical front, initiatives include a wellness app, health tracking, medical check-ups, counselling, and fitness programmes. According to Niren, more than 9,000 associates completed medical tests across India in FY2025-26, accounting for 85% coverage.”
Second, mental wellness efforts have also seen strong uptake, having reached 2,500 plus employees, with 3,020 active registrations and 237 counselling sessions completed – which more than 90% rated as beneficial.”
Third, social wellbeing is supported through structured communities. A total of eight social groups including cycling, trekking, dance, music, heritage walks, and biking engage more than 650 associates, all of which aim to strengthen connection, inclusion, and work-life balance across locations.
Finally, financial wellbeing, which often tends to be overlooked, is embedded through four pillars: compounding, safeguarding, advising, and empowering. Niren shares: "More than 2,000 employees have been on-boarded, creating a monthly SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) book of approximately INR50 lakh, demonstrating how employee wellbeing and business outcomes can be delivered together."
Importantly, these initiatives are not one-off programmes, as participation and outcomes are reviewed regularly. "The proof lies in numbers and sustainability. Participation across all wellness pillars has grown consistently and is reviewed as part of our monthly and bi-monthly HR and business reviews."
What organisations may get wrong
As affirmed through MOFSL's case study, wellbeing cannot be outsourced to employees alone. Niren notes: "Traditionally, organisations drive work outcomes tightly but leave health to individuals, assuming people will 'figure it out'. This approach does not work."
Given the amount of time employees spend at work, a more integrated model is needed. "Our learning was simple but powerful. Wellbeing must be a shared ownership between the organisation and the individual."
That shared ownership, as Niren elaborates, is built through consistent enablement. "When organisations actively partner with employees through awareness, access to resources, ongoing conversations, and visible success stories, engagement deepens and behaviours begin to change. Success stories build belief, and belief creates sustained momentum."
Rethinking productivity for the long term
Drawing on his more than two decades of HR experience across insurance, banking, and capital markets, the CHRO is clear: there is no trade-off between performance and wellbeing.
"Balance between both is not optional, but foundational. When performance and well-being move together, long-term sustainability becomes the natural outcome – these three factors add up to the bigger picture."
This is particularly relevant in the BFSI sector, where volatility can quickly elevate stress levels, he adds. "Staying ahead of the curve through proactive interventions is far more effective than reacting after burnout has already set in."
Three questions every CHRO should ask
For HR leaders looking to replicate similar impact, Niren notes that the starting point is not policy design, but clarity.
"Before launching any people initiative, leaders must first ask three fundamental questions," the leader advises:
- What need is being addressed?
- Where exactly does this need exist - across roles, cohorts, and businesses?
- What measurable outcome is the initiative expected to deliver?
He also stresses the point that one-size-fits-all policies rarely work, particularly in diversified organisations operating across multiple business lines.
"Initiatives that are driven only by good intent or visibility, without clear outcomes or sustainability, tend to lose momentum over time."
Ultimately, as MOFSL's experience seeks to drive home, in an always-on world, the real differentiator may not be how long employees stay switched on – but how intentionally organisations enable them to switch off.
Or, as Niren aptly puts it: "Consistency, clarity of purpose, and outcome orientation are what ensure people policies create lasting impact."
Photo / Provided
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