Athira Sethu
Kochi, 13 January 2025
Recently, S.N. Subrahmanyan’s comments on working hours have sparked a debate in India. He recently stated that employees should log 90 hours of work a week and that they should remain at work on Sundays; this raised many questions about the India work culture.
Many, including business leaders and employees, have criticized his view, as it encourages employees to devote more of their time to work rather than personal hours. While Subrahmanyan’s comments reflect an old-school view of dedication and long hours, they do not take into account the long-term negative effects on employee well-being and productivity.
Indians have long faced the problem of overwork; most employees put in much more than the average 40-48 hours per week. The International Labour Organization finds that more than 51% of Indian workers put in more than 49 hours a week, which is more than double the world average. And then there is the problem of long commutes, especially for cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, where professionals are traveling for as much as 2-3 hours every day, with little time for rest or family.
The cost of overwork:
70% of Indian employees feel burnt out, according to a 2023 survey by Deloitte, and long working hours have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a recent report from the World Health Organization has found. Companies pushing for long hours risk losing talent, as Indian high attrition rates well indicate in the IT sector.
Rather than encouraging long working hours, Indian companies should work on productivity, efficiency, and employee well-being. It has been proven that productivity drops dramatically after 50 hours of work per week, with little additional output beyond 55 hours. Countries like Germany have shown that work-life balance is the way to more innovation and higher efficiency. Shorter working hours, automation, and support systems for employees will lead to better results for employees and companies alike.
The focus of the leading companies in India needs to shift from the number of hours worked to the quality of work produced. Companies can create a more sustainable and productive workforce by encouraging employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. A happy and well-rested employee is more likely to contribute creatively and effectively to an organization’s success, leading to long-term growth and stability.
As the workforce of India grows and develops, businesses have to rethink traditional working hours approaches and adopt more balanced, thoughtful, and human-centric work culture.
