Wage Protection System, Oil activism and cakes at work: our editors comment on the top stories of Jan 20

STEP TO PROTECT DOMESTIC WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN UAE: The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has urged employers to register domestic workers in the Wage Protection System (WPS) to pay salaries easily and conveniently. In cooperation with the UAE Central Bank, the Ministry provides employers with the option to pay the wages of domestic workers electronically through banks, exchange houses or financial institutions. The WPS enhances transparency, stability and protection of both parties to the contractual relationship. Employers must react proactively and use the facility that benefits all parties. (By Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor)

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT THE CAKE: It’s a workplace culture. Cake and sweets brought by colleagues returning from holidays or celebrating birthdays can trigger a scramble. We just need an excuse to have cakes and snacks at the office. We may want healthy lifestyles, but we give in to these sweet temptations at the office. Professor Susan Jebb, chair of the UK’s Food Standards Agency, has kicked up a debate saying that taking the cake to work to share with colleagues causes as much harm to health as passive smoking. Jebb says passive smoking inflicts harm on others “and exactly the same is true of food”. It’s rare that a colleague breaks the tradition and brings a fruit platter, right? If nobody brought cakes into the office, most of us wouldn’t eat cakes! (N.R. Stephen, Senior Associate Editor)

OIL ACTIVISM — DOING GOOD OR BEING STUPID? These days, most people believe in taking steps to counter climate change and do good for the world and the future. Where nations and economies are concerned, those steps need to be gradual and well-considered ones — not doing so would only lead to curtailing progress that the nations and their peoples need. That means accepting carbon emission downsizing can’t happen overnight, however drastic the steps taken might be. This fact escapes climate activists, who remain noisy at global events and turn the attention to themselves. They should create less noise and get more real. (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS TAKES ONE FOR THE WOMEN’S TEAM: Priyanka Chopra Jonas has always spoken her mind, but she won hearts recently when she made her stand clear about her decision to use a surrogate when she was yearning for a child with her husband and pop singer Nick Jonas. Since misogyny and hate are often directed at women more than men, Chopra Jonas was shamed for using a surrogate instead of going down the traditional biological route. She was slammed for using her wealth to rent a womb, but she has hit back at her haters. My child Malti is not gossip fodder was her credo in an interview with a top fashion magazine. We hear her. Just because she’s a public figure doesn’t give anyone the right to throw shade on someone’s personal choice. Everyone, including the media, should draw the line. (Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)

TIME TO LOOK AT FITNESS ISSUES SERIOUSLY: Injuries are the bane of sportspersons. In recent times, several stars have broken down frequently due to injuries. One of the reasons could be the sheer number of games they play, but more importantly, the training methods that help produce power-packed performances in a short span. But the wear and tear kicks in earlier than expected. Rafael Nadal’s injuries could be due to his age, but others like Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic are also under the injury cloud. Injuries are not limited to tennis; even top cricketers, footballers and many others from a wide range of sports disciplines are affected by this phenomenon. It’s time to address the issue so that the stars can continue to enthral us. (A.K.S. Satish, Sports Editor)