India's workforce is in the throes of an overwork epidemic. Despite global recognition of its industrious labor pool, the underlying reality reveals chronic burnout, health crises, and a lack of work-life balance. From extended workweeks to alarming health statistics, the system seems not just broken but designed to exploit.
Overworked and Underpaid
In 2021, India ranked fifth globally for the longest working hours, with employees clocking over 48 hours weekly. Yet, it recorded the second-lowest minimum wage in the Asia-Pacific region, only ahead of Bangladesh. By 2025, workweeks in seven states regularly exceed 50 hours, with corporate leaders advocating for even longer hours.
- N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, controversially suggested 70-hour workweeks to boost productivity.
- S.N. Subrahmanyan, CEO of Larsen & Toubro, went further, promoting a 90-hour workweek and dismissing the need for time at home.
These remarks, widely criticized, highlight the cultural acceptance of overwork as the only path to success.
The Corporate Hustle: A Deadly Race
Tragically, this glorified hustle culture has claimed lives. Anna Sebastian Periyal, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant at Ernst & Young, died after enduring 14-hour workdays for months. A colleague described the norm: 12- to 13-hour days, 10 pm finishes, and weekend work.
The numbers are equally grim:
- Gallup’s Workplace Report: 90% of Indian employees experience work-related stress, with over 40% persistently sad.
- Financial Express: 70% of employees are unhappy at work, and 54% are considering quitting.
- Microsoft India’s Work Trend Index: 57% report feeling overworked.
- FICCI Innovation Summit 2024: 58% face high burnout.
A Tale of Two Realities
While urban professionals stretch themselves thin in corporate roles, rural workers face similar challenges in informal and self-employed sectors. Data reveals:
- Urban salaried men work an average of 53 hours weekly; self-employed men clock 55 hours.
- Women, traditionally burdened with unpaid domestic duties, work 46 paid hours in urban areas. Rural women in salaried roles work 44 hours, with self-employed women clocking 37 hours.
The informal sector, which employs nearly 90% of India’s workforce, remains largely unregulated and exploitative, perpetuating cycles of overwork and under compensation.
The Physical and Mental Cost
The impact of overwork on health is catastrophic. Prolonged hours and poor ergonomics have led to widespread issues such as:
- Eye strain: Blink rates drop from 12-15 times per minute to just 4-5 times during computer use, leading to irritation and fatigue.
- Postural damage: Sedentary lifestyles are causing "tech neck" and curved spines, turning younger generations into “old, hunch-backed people.”
- Mental health crises: Persistent stress has resulted in a surge in anxiety, depression, and burnout. Heart attacks and suicides among professionals are no longer rare.
A Broken System
The pandemic blurred the lines between professional and personal life, pushing the culture of being “always available.” Remote work turned into round-the-clock work, compounding the pressure. Despite this, many corporations deny allegations of toxic work environments, claiming such accusations are "alien" to their culture.
The reality? Office politics, toxic leadership, and a lack of proper health benefits make workplaces untenable for many.
India's work culture urgently needs reform. We need:
- Capping work hours: Enforce laws to limit working weeks to 40-45 hours, with penalties for excessive overtime.
- Fair wages: Align minimum wages with living costs and ensure equal pay for contract workers.
- Employee well-being audits: Mandate periodic checks on mental and physical health metrics.
- Cultural shift: Normalize rest and promote work-life balance through public campaigns and corporate accountability.
Lessons from Abroad
India risks following Japan’s cautionary tale of burnout, where overwork led to severe social and economic consequences. Alternatively, it can take cues from countries like Germany, which prioritize employee well-being, resulting in shorter workweeks and higher productivity.
The glorification of hustle culture in India has pushed its workforce to the brink. Chronic overwork, insufficient pay, and deteriorating health are not just individual tragedies - they are systemic failures. Without swift and meaningful reform, India’s youth, the backbone of its economic growth, risk being crushed under the weight of unrealistic expectations.
It’s time to redefine success - not by hours clocked but by the well-being of those who drive the nation forward.
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