Imagine this: It is 11 pm and you are about to go to sleep when your phone rings. It is your boss, asking for an urgent report that has to be ready by morning. Reluctantly, you drag yourself out of bed, turn on your laptop and get to work. Does this sound familiar? Well, many of us have been through this situation. Whether you are working in the IT sector, healthcare or emergency services, the media industry or for multinationals in India, working beyond office hours has become almost normal.
But here’s something interesting – if you AustraliaThis scenario can go differently. Once your office hours are over, you can legally ignore calls and messages from late-night workers. This is all thanks to the new Right to disconnect This law is designed to curb work-related emails and calls that interfere with personal time.
Decoded: Australia’s right to disconnect law
The Right to Disconnect law is a regulation that empowers Employee Ignoring work-related communications outside of your official office – whether it’s email, text messages, or phone calls work hoursThis law was introduced to tackle the growing interference of work in private life, a problem that has become even more severe since the COVID-19 pandemic has blurred the boundaries between work and home. In Australia, this law applies to all employees.
By enacting this law, Australia joins nearly two dozen other countries, mainly in Europe and Latin America, that have similar rules. France was one of the leading countries to implement its right to disconnect in 2017.
India’s Right to Disconnect Bill: Status update
This raises the question: could a similar law be implemented in India? Surprisingly, a bill called Right to Disconnect was introduced in India as well. The bill aimed to provide employees the right to not answer work-related calls and emails after work hours, thereby maintaining a boundary between personal and professional life. However, the bill, introduced by MP Supriya Sule, is yet to receive significant legislative support.
The great Indian debate about long working hours
Well, the big question is: why hasn’t this bill made any headway so far? Well, the reason is quite obvious: overworking has become deeply ingrained in many sectors across India. Whether it is the healthcare industry, emergency services, journalism or IT, employees often work overtime and even on their days off. The idea that work should take priority is deeply ingrained in the Indian work culture. Here are some recent developments that reflect the ever-increasing push towards working longer hours.
Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week proposal: Last year, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had suggested that Indian youth should be willing to work up to 70 hours a week to drive the country’s growth. This sparked a heated debate among both young professionals and seasoned veterans. While some supported the idea, others raised concerns about the long-term effects on health and work-life balance.
Nilesh Shah’s 12-hour workday proposal: Echoing Narayana Murthy’s views, Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, suggested that for India to grow more rapidly, a generation of people needs to adopt the culture of 12-hour workdays.
Recommendations of the Economic Survey: The Economic Survey presented by the Finance Ministry in July had emphasised on increasing overtime working hours with lower wages. It also emphasised the need to increase the ‘monetary time’ of Indian workers, downplaying the reduction in overtime pay. The Economic Survey, citing a 2023 article by Delhi-based think tank Prosperity Insights, argues that easing working hour restrictions could increase workers’ earnings. The article points out that the Factories Act, the main law governing working hours and conditions in India, limits workers to 48 hours per week and a maximum of 10.5 hours per day, including rest periods. While workers could potentially earn more by working 60 hours a week, Section 65 of the Act limits overtime to 75 hours per quarter, thereby restricting their earnings. The survey suggests that these laws should be made more flexible to allow additional overtime, similar to practices in other countries.
Attempts to amend the Factories Act: These recommendations come at a time when the government is taking steps to increase the permissible working hours by relaxing the provisions of the Factories Act. In fact, last year both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka proposed to allow up to 12 hours of work by amending the Factories Act. However, Tamil Nadu had to withdraw the law after protests from labour unions. Apart from this, a draft bill by the Congress government of Karnataka proposed to increase the working hours for those working in the IT sector to 14 hours per day. The proposal drew strong reactions, as the Shops and Establishments Act, which regulates working hours in the IT sector, states that workers cannot be made to work more than nine hours a day and 48 hours a week.
Given these examples, it appears challenging to implement a law like Australia’s Right to Disconnect in India.
How overwork affects productivity
Estimates suggest that the average salary for a fresher in India is between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per annum, with an average growth rate of around 15 per cent per annum. These workers typically work 8 to 9 hours a day. If working hours are increased, will the salary also increase accordingly? In many cases, employees who work overtime do not receive additional remuneration. Thus, it is likely that increasing working hours without proper compensation may lead to further dissatisfaction.
In addition, the impact on mental and physical health can be significant. According to the World Health Organization, about 15 percent of working adults suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders, which affect their daily lives. If working hours are further increased, these factors can also have a negative impact on productivity. Here’s a look at how long working hours can affect output.
Decrease in efficiency: Doing more work than you can handle reduces efficiency. Tasks that would normally be completed in a short amount of time may take longer, and mistakes become common, which take longer to correct.
burn out: Overworking can lead to burnout – a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Burnout significantly reduces motivation and engagement, making it difficult to complete even simple tasks.
Decreased creativity: Creativity thrives when the mind is calm and has time to wander. Overwork affects creativity because the mind focuses on getting the job done instead of thinking in new ways.
Work-life imbalance: Overwork disrupts the balance between work and personal life, leading to dissatisfaction and resentment, which also impacts work, further reducing overall productivity.
Increasing working hours: A great way to balance growth and well-being
As the debate continues on whether Indian employees should have the right to disconnect after office hours, the implications of increasing working hours must be carefully considered. On one hand, increasing working hours can significantly boost the country’s growth and provide more earning opportunities for workers, while on the other hand, it can lead to decreased productivity and contribute to employee burnout. The balance between economic benefits and workers’ well-being is important. As our government considers these factors, it must ensure that any changes in working hours policies do not come at the cost of employee health and productivity.
But here’s something interesting – if you AustraliaThis scenario can go differently. Once your office hours are over, you can legally ignore calls and messages from late-night workers. This is all thanks to the new Right to disconnect This law is designed to curb work-related emails and calls that interfere with personal time.
Decoded: Australia’s right to disconnect law
The Right to Disconnect law is a regulation that empowers Employee Ignoring work-related communications outside of your official office – whether it’s email, text messages, or phone calls work hoursThis law was introduced to tackle the growing interference of work in private life, a problem that has become even more severe since the COVID-19 pandemic has blurred the boundaries between work and home. In Australia, this law applies to all employees.
By enacting this law, Australia joins nearly two dozen other countries, mainly in Europe and Latin America, that have similar rules. France was one of the leading countries to implement its right to disconnect in 2017.
India’s Right to Disconnect Bill: Status update
This raises the question: could a similar law be implemented in India? Surprisingly, a bill called Right to Disconnect was introduced in India as well. The bill aimed to provide employees the right to not answer work-related calls and emails after work hours, thereby maintaining a boundary between personal and professional life. However, the bill, introduced by MP Supriya Sule, is yet to receive significant legislative support.
The great Indian debate about long working hours
Well, the big question is: why hasn’t this bill made any headway so far? Well, the reason is quite obvious: overworking has become deeply ingrained in many sectors across India. Whether it is the healthcare industry, emergency services, journalism or IT, employees often work overtime and even on their days off. The idea that work should take priority is deeply ingrained in the Indian work culture. Here are some recent developments that reflect the ever-increasing push towards working longer hours.
Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week proposal: Last year, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had suggested that Indian youth should be willing to work up to 70 hours a week to drive the country’s growth. This sparked a heated debate among both young professionals and seasoned veterans. While some supported the idea, others raised concerns about the long-term effects on health and work-life balance.
Nilesh Shah’s 12-hour workday proposal: Echoing Narayana Murthy’s views, Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, suggested that for India to grow more rapidly, a generation of people needs to adopt the culture of 12-hour workdays.
Recommendations of the Economic Survey: The Economic Survey presented by the Finance Ministry in July had emphasised on increasing overtime working hours with lower wages. It also emphasised the need to increase the ‘monetary time’ of Indian workers, downplaying the reduction in overtime pay. The Economic Survey, citing a 2023 article by Delhi-based think tank Prosperity Insights, argues that easing working hour restrictions could increase workers’ earnings. The article points out that the Factories Act, the main law governing working hours and conditions in India, limits workers to 48 hours per week and a maximum of 10.5 hours per day, including rest periods. While workers could potentially earn more by working 60 hours a week, Section 65 of the Act limits overtime to 75 hours per quarter, thereby restricting their earnings. The survey suggests that these laws should be made more flexible to allow additional overtime, similar to practices in other countries.
Attempts to amend the Factories Act: These recommendations come at a time when the government is taking steps to increase the permissible working hours by relaxing the provisions of the Factories Act. In fact, last year both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka proposed to allow up to 12 hours of work by amending the Factories Act. However, Tamil Nadu had to withdraw the law after protests from labour unions. Apart from this, a draft bill by the Congress government of Karnataka proposed to increase the working hours for those working in the IT sector to 14 hours per day. The proposal drew strong reactions, as the Shops and Establishments Act, which regulates working hours in the IT sector, states that workers cannot be made to work more than nine hours a day and 48 hours a week.
Given these examples, it appears challenging to implement a law like Australia’s Right to Disconnect in India.
How overwork affects productivity
Estimates suggest that the average salary for a fresher in India is between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per annum, with an average growth rate of around 15 per cent per annum. These workers typically work 8 to 9 hours a day. If working hours are increased, will the salary also increase accordingly? In many cases, employees who work overtime do not receive additional remuneration. Thus, it is likely that increasing working hours without proper compensation may lead to further dissatisfaction.
In addition, the impact on mental and physical health can be significant. According to the World Health Organization, about 15 percent of working adults suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders, which affect their daily lives. If working hours are further increased, these factors can also have a negative impact on productivity. Here’s a look at how long working hours can affect output.
Decrease in efficiency: Doing more work than you can handle reduces efficiency. Tasks that would normally be completed in a short amount of time may take longer, and mistakes become common, which take longer to correct.
burn out: Overworking can lead to burnout – a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Burnout significantly reduces motivation and engagement, making it difficult to complete even simple tasks.
Decreased creativity: Creativity thrives when the mind is calm and has time to wander. Overwork affects creativity because the mind focuses on getting the job done instead of thinking in new ways.
Work-life imbalance: Overwork disrupts the balance between work and personal life, leading to dissatisfaction and resentment, which also impacts work, further reducing overall productivity.
Increasing working hours: A great way to balance growth and well-being
As the debate continues on whether Indian employees should have the right to disconnect after office hours, the implications of increasing working hours must be carefully considered. On one hand, increasing working hours can significantly boost the country’s growth and provide more earning opportunities for workers, while on the other hand, it can lead to decreased productivity and contribute to employee burnout. The balance between economic benefits and workers’ well-being is important. As our government considers these factors, it must ensure that any changes in working hours policies do not come at the cost of employee health and productivity.
