Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy had advised the youth to work 70 hours a week a year ago. Now IT companies in Karnataka have sent a proposal to the state government, demanding to increase the working hours of employees to 14 hours.
According to India Today, the state government is considering amendments to the ‘Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961’. IT companies want the working hours to be legally fixed at 12 hours + 14 hours with 2 hours overtime.
After this news, Karnataka State IT/ITES Employees Union (KITU) has strongly protested. A debate has also started on social media whether the youth will be able to bear the load of 14 hours after an 8-9 hour shift. Does work-life balance really exist in India, or is it unreasonable to question working hours in the era of AI?
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People used to work shifts of more than 14 hours even earlier
During the Industrial Revolution between 1760 and 1840, workers were required to work up to 16 hours a day. They had to work extremely hard and long hours, which adversely affected their productivity and health. British human rights activist Robert Owen initiated change by coining the slogan “8 hours work, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest”.
Ford Motor Company’s big move
In 1914, Ford Motor Company adopted the 8-hour workday and doubled the wages of its employees. The result was an increase in labor productivity and the company’s profits. This success inspired other companies to adopt the same strategy. It is said that the culture of 8 or 9 hour shifts started from here.
Modern technology also contributes to reducing working hours
In the olden days, the way people worked was quite different, but modern jobs have brought about a big change in the everyday lifestyle of humans. Nowadays, in many jobs with busy working hours, people spend 14-15 hours in the office.
According to the data, till the 19th century, there were no fixed working hours for humans. But with time, working hours kept decreasing, especially in rich countries. Now the trend of working 6 hours a day and 4 days a week is increasing.
In 1870, the average annual working hours in the US were 3000 hours, which was 60 to 70 hours per week. Today, it has dropped to 1700 hours, which is an average of 7 to 8 hours per day with a 5-day weekly system.
According to a research report by economics historians Michael Huberman and Crins Minns, working hours in Germany have decreased by 60% today compared to 1870. In Britain, it has decreased by 40%.
Labor law also had an impact
Before the changes in the labor law, people used to work as many hours from January to July as they do today in the whole year. In the more industrialized countries, there have been major changes in the labor law, which has reduced the working hours. In the poor countries, the pace of change is still slow.
There has also been an increase in holidays for employees, which has improved their lifestyle. These points show how changes in modern jobs and labor laws have affected the working lifestyle of humans.
Is it possible to work 14 hours a day?
Indeed conducted an important study, which took place during the Corona period when most employees were working from home. This study found that working hours from home are longer than in the office.
According to a survey by Indeed, 52% of employees who work more than 9 hours a day experience burnout. Overwork can also lead to health problems, such as lack of sleep, increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and depression.
According to a CNBC report, 50% of employees are working in companies with fewer employees, where they have to work extra hours due to the pressure to maintain high performance. Due to this, employees have to spend more time not only to complete their work but also the work of other team members. In such a situation, more work every day can also cause many problems.