Urban Company has rolled out the third leg of its 'Dignity of Labour' campaign 'Chhoti Baat?' (a small thing), which aims to bring to light the subtle prejudices in society.  

Conceptualised by Talented, the campaign which comprises of a film follows a conversation between a father and daughter as they discuss her challenges at work and the qualities of a good manager. During their talk, the father learns that a plumber is working at his daughter's house without her supervision. She draws a parallel to his work as a surgeon, asking him to imagine if the patient's friends and family were in the operating room overseeing his work. She reminds him that work is work and explains that purposeful work deserves dignity. Regardless of the status or type of work, mutual respect is the foundation of dignity was the takeaway at the end of the film.

What we think about it: Captures the everyday bias we’ve all experienced, where parents insist on supervising workers at home. Rooted in this relatable insight, the film effectively ties it to corporate leadership, highlighting the disparity between workplace ideals and home practices. It’s a compelling narrative that challenges viewers to rethink 'respect' and 'dignity' in all work environments.

Kartik Ahuja, senior brand manager, Urban Company, said, “Over the last ten years, Urban Company has been instrumental in reshaping India’s access to blue-collared services. We have two constituents, our customers and our partners, and to create a mutually beneficial platform, a conversation around the dignity of labour isn’t just a communication platform, but a business necessity that ensures consistent year-on-year earnings growth for our partners, safety nets in the form of insurance and medical cover. Over 57,000 Urban Company Professionals have benefitted from skill training programs and accreditations, climbing the ladder to upward social mobility. With this work, we intend to nudge society to see our partners the way we see them – as professionals.” 

Aakash Desai, strategy, Talented, added, “We all wax eloquent about mental health at the workplace and what we expect from our managers within the contours of corporate India. We have an expansive vocabulary to talk about what makes a 'toxic' workplace; and yet we often forget that our homes are the workplaces for UC Professionals and other support staff – that we are their managers. How do our actions at home weigh against our ideas of creating a conducive environment for someone to do their life's best work? In our third film in the series, we attempt to bridge the respect gap between white and blue-collar workers, to reflect UC customers being allies to UC Pros.” 

Kopal Naithani, founder and director, Superfly, said, “The film is a slice-of-life, everyday conversation between a father and a daughter – a casual chat that takes an unexpected turn and pushes the father to counter an unspoken prejudice. Our biases against blue-collar workers are seldom verbalised – it is complex, rooted in class-based 'othering' and passed down generations. Therefore the only way to break these intergenerational cycles of bias is to pause, recognise and question them.”