Bengaluru: Do you get a nap during work in the office, do your partner or boss bother you for a nap during work in the office? If this is the case, then you must read this decision of the High Court. When the video of Powernap of Chandrashekhar, a constable from Karnataka, went viral on social media, he was suspended from the job. Then the High Court judge said on the arguments given by that constable in the court that people have recognized the right to sleep and rest under the Constitution and have emphasized the importance of rest and sleep from time to time. The judge further said that therefore, there can be no mistake in sleeping during the duty of the petitioner in this case.
A transport constable of the Karnataka State Transport Corporation (KKRTC), who was suspended for a 10 -minute nap after shifting 16 hours in a row for two consecutive months. In this case, now the constable has got relief from the High Court. The court has canceled the suspension order issued by KKRTC. Justice said that KKRTC management had made a mistake, as he forced the constable to work in two shifts a day for two months without a break.
What order did the High Court give?
The High Court has ordered that the petitioner will get all the benefits including salary. If the petitioner had slept during duty in a shift, it would have been wrong. The judge said that in the case, the petitioner was forced to work 16 hours a day for 60 days without a break. Chandrashekhar joined the Karnataka State Transport Constable on 13 May 2016 in the Cople Division. On 23 April 2024, a report alleged that the petitioner was found sleeping at work. Chandrasekhar was suspended on 1 July 2024.
What was the arguments of the constable in the court
Challenging this the order, constable Chandrashekhar argued in the High Court that he was not even being given a chance to sleep, as he was forced to work in repeated shifts for two consecutive months and hence he was asleep to work. . KKRTC argued that the video of the petitioner sleeping on duty has slandered the corporation.
What did the judge say at work hours?
The Justice noted that a KST constable has eight hours a day for the working hours. Chandrashekhar was asked to shift two due to heavy workload. Article 24 of the universal declaration of human rights states that everyone has the right to rest and holiday, including the appropriate range of work and timely holidays with salary. In the International Labor Organization, whose India is a part, the balance of work and life has also been recognized. Work hours should not be 48 hours a week and not more than 8 hours in a day, except exceptional circumstances.
The judge further said that the action of suspension for his mistake of KKRTC is undoubtedly an action that suffers from lack of goodwill. The judge said that this order should be canceled. The petitioner has the right to get all the resulting benefits including the continuation of service and salary for the period of suspension.
