Workplaces rife with superstition

Workplaces rife with superstition

Bangaloreans are among the most superstitious lot of employees across the country. A study by city-based staffing firm TeamLease Services has revealed that around 73% of those surveyed in the city believe strongly in superstitious practices at the workplace. The extent of belief in superstitions have been found to be high in Bangalore and New Delhi, whereas in cities such as Kolkata and Pune the prevalence of such beliefs is minimal. While Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui are the most common practices followed at the workplace, personal favourites are lucky charms such as keeping stones, colour specific items, and the ubiquitous bamboo shoot. However, since managements in India are usually adaptive of such practices, employees are not restricted from practicing the same at work. According to Surabhi Mathur Gandhi, senior vice-president and co-founder, TeamLease Services, Bangalore has no gender disparity when it comes to superstitious practices at work. While 70% women employees believe in such practices, men are close behind with 69%. While city-based firms mostly believe in Vaastu Shastra and proper seating arrangements to ward off evil spirits, individual employees believe in lucky charms. For instance, Rakesh MG who works in an automobile firm, keeps a rudraksha bead near his computer. “I derive inner strength by merely looking at it. I have been doing this for the past couple of years,” he says. Some 48% of the respondents feel that superstitions at the workplace have had a positive effect on their lives, and that ‘modern’ organisations impose fewer restrictions on such practices.