Why are Indians debating 70-hour working weeks?
LifeStyle
Software billionaire NR Narayana said young people should be prepared to work 70 hours a week
(Web Desk) - India is debating how many hours a person should work after software billionaire NR Narayana Murthy said young people should be prepared to work 70 hours a week to help the country’s development.
On a podcast, he said: “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world.
“Unless we improve our work productivity… we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress.
“So, therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘This is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week’.”
Mr Murthy’s comments divided social media users.
Some of the criticism came from people who pointed out the starting salaries – typically on the low end – for engineers in Indian technology companies including Infosys, which Mr Murthy co-founded.
Others highlighted the physical and mental health issues that could arise from working such hours.
Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy, a Bengaluru-based cardiologist, tweeted:
“No time to socialise, no time to talk to family, no time to exercise, no time for recreation.
“Not to mention companies expect people to answer emails and calls after work hours also. Then wonder why young people are getting heart attacks?”
Some stated that most Indian women worked over 70 hours a week – at both the office and their homes.
The debate comes as the Covid-19 pandemic has made people re-evaluate their relationship with work. Many felt that they were more productive when they worked from home while others advocated for a healthy work-life balance.
In a 2022 report, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said:
“Companies that implement work-life balance policies benefit from increased retention of current employees, improved recruitment, lower rates of absenteeism and higher productivity.”
According to the report, Indians already work long hours.
On average, Indians worked more than 2,000 hours every year before the pandemic, much higher than in the US, Brazil and Germany.
Film producer Ronnie Screwvala tweeted:
“Boosting productivity isn’t just about working longer hours.
“It’s about getting better at what you do – upskilling, having a positive work environment and fair pay for the work done.
“Quality of work done > clocking in more hours.”
India has strong labour laws but activists say officials need to do more to implement them strictly.
Earlier in 2023, protests from workers and opposition leaders forced the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw a bill that would have allowed working time in factories to increase to 12 hours from eight.
Mr Murthy was previously criticised in 2020 when he suggested that Indians work for at least 64 hours a week for two to three years to compensate for the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.
Some Indian business leaders have agreed with Mr Murthy’s comments.
CP Gurnani, CEO of Tech Mahindra, said that Mr Murthy might have intended for the comment to be taken more holistically.
He posted on X: “I believe when he talks of work, it’s not limited to the company.
“It extends to yourself and to your country.
“He hasn’t said work 70 hours for the company – work 40 hours for the company but work 30 hours for yourself.
“Invest the 10,000 hours that makes one a master in one’s subject. Burn the midnight oil and become an expert in your field.”
Sajjan Jindal, chairman of the JSW Group of Companies, said: “A five-day week culture is not what a rapidly developing nation of our size needs.”
While the debate over longer working hours continues in India, some countries have been experimenting with four-day work weeks.
In 2022, Belgium changed laws to give workers the right to work four days a week without a salary reduction.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the intention was to “create a more dynamic and productive economy”.
In 2022, several UK companies took part in a six-month trial scheme, organised by 4 Day Week Global which campaigns for a shorter week.
At the end of the trial, 56 of the 61 companies that took part said they would continue with the four-day week, at least for now, with 18 saying they would make it a permanent change.
A report assessing the scheme’s impact in the UK found that it had “extensive benefits”, particularly for employees’ well-being.
A similar experiment is now being held in Portugal.
