Longer working hours do not directly correlate with higher productivity, economic growth, and prosperity
26-year-old EY employee Anna Sebastian’s death in July 2024, allegedly due to overwork highlighted unhealthy work-life balance, stress due to unrealistic expectations, a lack of support, and a toxic work culture. Entrepreneur NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys suggested that “young people should commit to working 70 hours a week for India to be competitive”. In a LinkedIn post, Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, wrote: put in the 18-hour days for at least 4-5 initial years of your career, prioritize work over leisure activities, and focus on professional development. L&T chairman SN Subramanian added fuel to the fire suggesting employees work 90 hours, seven days a week. Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal dismissed work-life balance as a Western idea and dedication and perseverance are essential for achieving our goal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects 80 to 100-hour weeks consistently to increase the chances of success. He said “There are easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.” China’s “996” work schedule of working 9 to 9 six days a week, was termed a “tremendous opportunity” by Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba. He encouraged those truly dedicated and passionate about their careers to consider extended work hours as a privilege.
PRODUCTIVITY AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Longer working hours do not directly correlate with higher productivity, economic growth, and prosperity. A Stanford University study shows that working more than 49 hours a week can decrease workforce productivity. Most humans are not capable of focused, high-quality work for prolonged periods. Output quality is more important than work time. Efficient, motivated workers are more productive in fewer hours without supervision than those who clock long hours in the office at smoking-coffee breaks, chatting, or on social media. RPG group chairperson Harsh Goenka believes in working hard and smart. A perpetual office shift is a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential. Aadit Palicham, CEO of Zepto said “Candidly, working 80-100 hours a week, we could have probably worked half of that with a lot less stress.” NR Narayana Murthy admitted the need to reduce government corruption, bureaucratic delays, and decision-making inefficiencies to increase productivity and efficiency. Corporations and governments should flatten bloated hierarchies, improve decision-making, and empower employees in this digital era to increase productivity or perish in this increasingly competitive world.
BAD WORK CULTURE: In India, the norm is a 48-hour work week and any additional hours are overtime as per labour regulations. Most corporations bill their customers per work hour and charge in multiples for extra work hours beyond 8 hrs a day but do not pass it on to the employee. This affects employee motivation and increases employee turnover. Compensation is a key point in this aspect. Poor compensation leads to migration within and outside India. Travel time should be included in work hours. Otherwise, institutions should provide housing, education, and other amenities in the campus. According to recent research, companies that invest extensively in three components of employee experience – culture, physical space, and technology make more than four times the average profit. Poor communication skills, harassment, lack of trust, micromanagement, unrealistic expectations, lack of recognition, hostile and unprofessional unethical behavior, gossiping with office politics, and favoritism, all lead to a toxic work environment, lower productivity, and high employee turnover.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF TOXIC WORK CULTURE: Peer pressure, the rat race to keep up with others, and financial pressure add to the stress of toxic work culture. Some studies have demonstrated that long work hours contribute to increased stress, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, and illness. Employees who work long hours experience anxiety and pressure constantly, with increased absenteeism, low morale, and interpersonal conflicts. Overwork contributes to poor lifestyle and stress-related serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and physical and emotional exhaustion which results in absenteeism. Sleep deprivation has cumulative effects that can lead to chronic fatigue, weakened immune function, and many health problems. Unhealthy work-life balance and long work hours can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and lower job satisfaction. When youth are wedded to work, elders will have to fend for themselves in old age homes, and children will be left unguided and unloved. In the long run increasing loneliness, suicidal tendencies, and disillusioned youth lead to social unrest, lower marriage and fertility rates, and a shrinking population.
HEALTHY WORK CULTURE: A healthy work-life balance reduces stress, prevents boredom, grievances, disaffection, and job hopping, improves physical and mental health, strengthens family and social bonds, and provides time for personal and family responsibilities and enjoying hobbies. This promotes long-term commitment to one’s profession, institution, and work. Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work, said Aristotle.
Dr. P.S.Venkatesh Rao is Consultant Endocrine, Breast & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Bengaluru.