BENGALURU: In the past 6-8 months, office-goers in the IT capital and Karnataka made peace with the fact that they can no longer earn their daily bread from the secure and comfortable confines of their homes. The shift in routine came about as all major IT companies either requested them to come back to office with added perks, or threatened them with layoffs if they failed to comply. Now, another controversy around increasing work hours from the legalised 10 hours to the proposed 14 hours, has left a sour taste for the employees. This development comes at a time when other countries such as UAE, Belgium, UK and Germany are weighing a 4-day workweek for different sectors.
In any organisation, employees are often referred to as the ‘backbone’ and play a critical role in its success. It would not be wrong to say that a ‘happy employee is a clear sign that a company is doing something right’. Unfortunately, this very idea has been challenged, inviting concerns and criticism. To put it into context, over a year ago, N Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys and industry veteran, suggested youngsters should work 70 hours a week, just like China and Japan did post World War II. Could this have ticked off the industry’s proposal? However, the businessman has made no comment on the current matter as yet.
The amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act aims to allow IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) employees to work up to 14 hours a day – 125 extra hours over three months. While the Karnataka government is facing criticism for the ‘inhumane’, ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unproductive’ working conditions, the root cause is in the IT industry.
Recently, speaking to the media, Minister for Labour Santosh Lad said the proposal to extend work hours of employees in the IT sector came from the heads of IT companies and not from the government. He admitted that the government just facilitated a platform to hold discussions on it and would not take any step without consensus. “Now, it is in public domain, let all IT company heads, employees and the public discuss the issue. There is dissent from IT employees. Based on discussions, we will look into what has to be done,” he added.
But here’s the catch: many large and medium-scale IT companies based out of Karnataka, and specifically Bengaluru, are not debating or commenting on the matter – which they usually choose to do in other cases, a recent example being the proposed job reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector.
Employees reject proposal
Meanwhile, under the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) banner, employees have opposed the proposal and started mobilizing opinion. The outreach includes social media and simple Google forms to unite against the proposal. Small gatherings outside corporate offices that talk about the cons of such a rule and how employees will be exploited, have become a common sight.
“This amendment will allow companies to go for a two-shift system instead of the currently existing three-shift system, and one-third of the workforce will be thrown out from employment,” stated KITU’s letter.
A customer success manager in an IT company in Bengaluru expressed apprehension about the proposal, “Since we are not sure what the whole bill entails, at the outset, if the intention is to increase productivity, this seems redundant. Individuals who are working global shifts do end up working more than their mandated work hours; this will only increase prep-time, device time, and strain one’s body.”
He added that attrition may spike, especially among the top talent, and more than mid-level employees, opposition will come from the top as they are capable of doing their work in a few hours and would not want to dedicate 14 hours to their workplaces.
Another software developer emphasised that “these working conditions are built to exploit the best years of those under 30. Anyone over 35 with age or health conditions simply will not be able to keep up or be paid fairly. Where are any of the under-35-year-olds going to have time for any quality of life if they spend 14 hours solid at work?”
What about women staff?
If India is to become a global leader and achieve a GDP growth rate of 8%, women must account for more than half of the new workforce that needs to be created by 2030. Since the city’s IT hub also contributes about 34% to 40% of the total IT exports of India, enabling women is incontestable.
If such a rule is passed, an average female employee would spend 12-14 hours in the office and another two hours commuting, at least thrice a week. Women are already performing unpaid labour at home and handling the responsibilities of raising children; this would only alienate them further. “Extending the workday to 14 hours could further discourage women from staying in the IT industry, intensifying the decline in the female workforce. Longer work hours would make it even more challenging to achieve a healthy work-life balance. This would undermine the IT industry’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, disproportionately affect women and other under-represented groups, and hinder efforts to create an inclusive workplace culture,” said Rajiv Krishnan, Managing Director and CEO of Ma Foi Strategic Consultants.
Industry experts weigh in
While the intention behind the proposal might be to increase output, experts say the potential negative impacts on employee health and productivity outweigh the benefits. “There is a need for a more holistic approach that prioritizes employee well-being, which will ultimately lead to more sustainable and effective outcomes for both the workforce and industry as a whole,” said Vishal Chopra, founder of Umwelt.AI, an employee engagement platform.
Ritesh Saraf, co-founder and CEO of Promilo, which provides network-based lead generation to customers, opined that companies must first navigate legal and regulatory challenges. “Public perception may suffer, harming the company’s reputation and brand image, while competitors offering better work-life balance might attract top talent. Despite potential short-term productivity gains, the overall success of such a policy hinges on thoughtful implementation and prioritization of employee wellbeing,” he said.
Physical to mental wellbeing
Medical professionals warned that prolonged workdays will not only lead to sleep deprivation, increasing risks for cardiovascular diseases, obesity and weakened immunity, but also increase the number of lifestyle diseases and cause musculoskeletal disorders.
“Employees working in the IT industry are prone to develop a lot of health problems due to continuous physical and mental stress of their work. Every job has targets, and an employee becomes overwhelmed when he or she is allotted unachievable targets, leading to a negative impact on the body. These need to be kept in check,” said Dr Prashanth Krishna G, Director, Prashanth Group of Hospitals.
Dr Sachin Baliga, Consultant, Psychiatry, at Fortis Hospital, said that excessive labour disrupts the circadian rhythm, leading to sleep deprivation, which is crucial for overall wellbeing.
“Chronic sleep deficiency increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and weakened immune function. However, psychologically, the burden is significant, with elevated stress hormones potentially leading to anxiety, depression and burnout. Moreover, cognitive functions deteriorate, resulting in reduced concentration, memory lapse and impaired decision-making,” he highlighted.
Meanwhile, Brunda MS, Consultant in Internal Medicine at Aster CMI Hospital, emphasized the importance of recognizing signs of overwork and prioritizing self-care, including maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a conducive sleep environment and managing stress.
Crux of the matter
At present, labour laws permit up to 12 hours (10 hours + 2 hours overtime) of work. The IT sector, in its new proposal, states that employees in the IT/ITeS/BPO sector may be required or allowed to work more than 12 hours a day, not exceeding 125 hours in 3 continuous months
Statistics say the IT capital of the country employs over 1.5 million individuals in this sector. Karnataka also aims to become a leader in hosting the highest number of Global Capability Centres on its home turf by 2030. IT-BT officials, on assurance of anonymity, said this proposal can fuel the state’s GCC growth and invite more business on a global scale
‘A Comparative Analysis: Causes of Stress Among Employees and its Effect on Performance At the Workplace in Agricultural Research and Information Technology Sectors’ published by the All India Management Association, found that 53% of Indian employees feel stressed due to long working hours and heavy workloads