OCCUPATIONAL WELLNESS IN INDIA:A NEGLECTED RIGHT OR A MISSED OPPORTUNITY?A COMPARATIVE STUDY ACROSS SECTORS AND NATIONS

In a time when workplace wellness is seen as an important factor for organizational efficiency, India is still behind in creating a complete framework that covers various work environments. While countries like Finland, the UK, and the US include sanitation rights, mental health protections, and regulated infrastructure in their laws, India's approach is still uncoordinated and focused on specific social classes. This study looks into the shortcomings of occupational wellness in government workplaces, including women’s access to toilets and safety for night-shift workers, as well as issues in lower-court infrastructure, judicial stress, corporate employee burnout, and labour conditions. Using a mix of methods, such as analysing reports, reviewing regulations, and synthesizing recent case studies, this paper evaluates the harmful effects on physical and mental health, productivity, employee retention, and dignity. By comparing these issues with international frameworks like the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, OSHA/ISO 45001 systems, and Nordic guidelines for psychological safety, this research points out India's legislative and institutional shortcomings, including the unimplemented OSHWC Code from 2020. The findings reveal a significant lack of wellness. Sanitary problems hinder women’s participation, poorly ventilated courts create stress for judges and advocates, corporate workers increasingly experience life-threatening stress, and informal workers remain without protections. Based on these findings, the paper calls for a unified rights-based model for occupational wellness in India. This model should include enforceable sanitation standards, well-being criteria for the judiciary, employer responsibilities for managing stress, and regulatory enforcement in the informal sector. The suggested changes aim to improve health and productivity while also supporting constitutional dignity and economic efficiency.