Work-life Balance Is An Alien Concept in India’s Workplaces

In the late 1990s, at a leading Indian business magazine, its editor had a simple yardstick to gauge productivity, performance, and often also the commitment of his team of journalists. Those who worked the longest hours every day were assessed to be the stars of the editorial team. It wasn’t uncommon for those who worked there–reporters, editors, designers, and so on–to put in ridiculously long hours, working through weekends, and clocking more than 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week.

The long hours were not really necessary. At the time, the said magazine was not known for being a news-oriented publication that had to chase breaking news but instead it focused on issues of corporate management, and systems and processes that companies adopted to make themselves more efficient. It ran detailed in-depth articles that required research and surveys but nothing that needed its staff members to work as they did. Leaving office to go home after, say, a 12-hour day, was akin to blasphemy and gallows humour prevailed at work with colleagues jokingly comparing themselves to prisoners at Auschwitz and slaves rowing galley ships.

It was an era when that sort of thing was not rare elsewhere in India’s working world as well. At an American bank’s India headquarters in Bombay (as Mumbai was still called those days), you could see young freshly recruited B-School graduates scurrying about carrying files or pieces of paper trying to look busy and impress their bosses. They would usually compete with each other to see who could start their day earliest and leave last. Looking busy was the aim and goal for everyone in a bid to seem productive and important.

The culture of long workdays and a workweek that routinely spills into the weekends has persisted–perhaps not anymore at that aforementioned magazine but at swathes of companies across industries in India.

Recently, a tragic incident occurred involving a young employee at Ernst & Young (EY), a global firm that offers accounting, tax, and consulting services in India. Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old who had joined the Pune office of EY, committed suicide in July 2024. Her mother reported that she was overworked, which has led to an investigation into the work environment at the firm.

This incident has raised significant concerns about workplace culture and the pressures faced by young professionals in demanding roles. It’s a reminder of the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and ensuring supportive work environments.

The truth is that work-life balance is largely an alien concept in Indian workplaces. The number of hours that employed Indians have to put in is staggering compared to most other places in the world.

India does indeed have some of the longest working hours globally. According to studies, the average workweek in India is officially around 48-52 hours (but it often exceeds this and can go up to 60-70 hours). Even in China, which is known for its long workweeks, the range is 46-48. In the US, it is 40-44; in the UK, it is 37-40; and in Germany, it is 34-38. In France, it is legally mandated to not exceed 35 hours. In some countries, the workweek has been reduced by law–such as in South Korea, where it was reduced in 2018 from 52 to 40-44. And, in other European countries, it has always been low–in Netherlands it is 32-36 hours; and in Denmark it is 37 hours.

Part of the reason for long working hours is development. India and many developing nations are in a crucial phase of economic growth where productivity and output are prioritised to compete globally. Workers often feel compelled to put in longer hours to secure their positions and advance in their careers, especially given the large labour pool and high competition for jobs.

While many developed European countries mandate 35-40 hours, the US Fair Labour Standards Act sets 40 as the standard. In contrast, the Indian Factories’ Act prescribes 48 hours per week.

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India often sees actual working hours exceed official limits. Overtime is common and sometimes unpaid. Many workers in informal sectors work even longer. In IT/Tech, they can range from 45-55 hours; in manufacturing, it can be 48-60 hours; in retail 50-60 hours; in banking 45-50 hours; and in small businesses they can exceed 60 hours. 

Many Indians work 6 days a week versus 5 days in Western countries; lunch breaks are often shorter (30 mins versus one hour in Europe); and commute times in Indian cities (often 2-3 hours daily) effectively extend the workday. Not surprisingly, most data show India consistently ranking among the countries with the longest working hours, significantly higher than most developed nations.

There are cultural and historical factors that also affect how much Indians work. Traditional values in India often emphasise hard work and sacrifice as virtues. The concept of “work is worship” (karma yoga) is deeply embedded in Indian culture. Additionally, the colonial legacy of long working hours in manufacturing and agriculture has influenced modern work culture.

In some cases, long workdays are an economic necessity. Lower average wages mean many workers need to put in longer hours to earn sufficient income. Multiple jobs or overtime work is common to meet basic needs and aspirations for a better life.

India’s labour laws are also not enforced strongly. Many sectors lack strong unions or worker protection mechanisms that could advocate for shorter working hours or better work-life balance.

The fact that India is the world’s most populous country is another huge factor. Just take a look at the numbers. India’s working age population (15-64) is around 950 million. Those actually working or seeking work is around 470 million. Yet, only 100-120 million are formally employed and as many as 300-320 million are informally employed in jobs that are unregulated and where workers have scant rights. 

So high population density creates intense competition for jobs, leading to a culture where showing commitment through long hours becomes necessary for job security. The fear of being replaced makes workers hesitant to demand better working conditions.

These factors create a cycle where long working hours become normalised, making it difficult to shift towards a more balanced work culture. While some multinational companies and startups are introducing more flexible policies, the broader work culture remains demanding, especially in traditional sectors and small businesses.

Yet, much more needs to be done. It is not difficult to understand that very long hours, besides taking their toll on the physical and mental health of workers, can be counterproductive for employers as well because such workers are prone to burnout, human error, and decline in productivity. 

Some employers, including topnotch celebrity entrepreneurs, don’t seem to realise that. Last year, N.R. Narayan Murthy, a founder of India’s marquee brand IT company, Infosys, suggested young Indians should work 70 hours/week (versus the standard 40-48) He cited the need to increase India’s productivity to compete with rapidly growing economies and referenced post-war Germany and Japan’s work culture as examples.

Many saw it as promoting toxic work culture at companies and were concerned about its impact on mental health and work-life balance. Productivity is not only about long hours and is post-war Germany or Japan a relevant comparison with India in 2024?

When the world is moving towards shorter workweeks and studies show that long workweeks have not really increased productivity or efficiency and can instead be counter-productive, does a 70-hour week really make sense?

In the example of the magazine mentioned at the beginning of this article, the long workweeks were enforced by a stentorian editor who ruled by might and was notably bereft of empathy or concern for members of the team that he led–unless they were subservient bootlickers. That became a recipe for toxicity. Unfortunately, decades later, at many Indian companies across different industries that recipe is so common that it is normalised.

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