Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai.Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi stated that 47.5 hours of work per week is sufficient. Speaking at the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum on Tuesday, he emphasized that he is against making employees work on weekends. Responding to a question on ideal weekly work hours, he revealed that for the past four years, he has followed a no-email policy on weekends for employees.

Narayan Murthy Advocated 70-Hour Work Week

Earlier, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy suggested that young professionals should work 70 hours a week. His statement sparked a heated debate on social media. In December 2024, Murthy reiterated his stance, stating that hard work is essential for India's progress, especially since 80 crore Indians receive free ration, indicating widespread poverty.

Impact of Long Working Hours on Health

A WHO-ILO study analyzed data from 194 countries between 1970 and 2018. Findings, published in the 2021 ‘Environment International’ journal, revealed that 7.45 lakh people died due to long working hours. Of these, 3.98 lakh deaths were due to strokes, while 3.47 lakh resulted from heart diseases. The study found that 48.8 crore people worldwide work 55 or more hours per week, significantly impacting their health.

Corporate Leaders Divided on Work-Life Balance

L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan supported a 90-hour work week, even suggesting that employees work on Sundays. In contrast, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Rajan Bharti Mittal emphasized qualitative over quantitative work, highlighting that family and health must be prioritized. Gautam Adani also weighed in, stating that work-life balance is personal, humorously remarking, “Even if you spend eight hours at home, your wife might still leave you.”