During a recent address to business leaders in The Hague, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that Indian employees possess a unique work ethic, asserting that no one in India would ever point out that it is 5:00 p.m. or the weekend. The remarks were defended by RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka, who suggested that while the comment may have been intended as a joke, it highlighted a competitive advantage: the willingness of Indian workers to work late into the night and through weekends to meet professional demands, contrasting this with European work cultures where meetings often conclude by Friday afternoon. Critics argue that this characterization conflates professional dedication with a lack of bargaining power. Employees on fixed-term contracts or those early in their careers often feel unable to refuse extended hours due to the risk of negative performance appraisals or diminished career prospects. Under the Industrial Relations Code, fixed-term contracts can lapse without the formal retrenchment protections afforded to other workers, potentially deterring staff from raising concerns about work-life balance. Legal frameworks regarding working hours in India remain complex. While the Central Rules under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code set a 48-hour work week with double pay for overtime, these rules primarily apply to central-sphere establishments like railways and banks. Most private corporate offices are governed by state-level regulations, and the definition of “managerial” or “supervisory” roles—which are often excluded from labor protections—remains ambiguous. Furthermore, a proposed “Right to Disconnect” bill, which would grant employees the right to ignore work communications after hours, remains a private member’s bill with little legislative momentum. Government data indicates that salaried men in India have consistently worked over 50 hours per week since 2018-19, excluding the pandemic period. Recent attempts by the Karnataka government to extend working hours for IT employees were met with significant opposition from labor unions, leading to the withdrawal of the proposals. Economic and health experts have questioned the sustainability of prioritizing unlimited availability. Research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) has linked work weeks of 55 hours or more to increased risks of stroke and heart disease. Additionally, economists note that excessive reliance on overtime can disincentivize new hiring, as employers may choose to stretch existing staff rather than expand their workforce. Observers point out that countries with shorter work weeks, such as the Netherlands, maintain high levels of productivity and GDP per capita, suggesting that economic success is not strictly tied to extended hours. Critics of the Minister’s stance suggest that if the government wishes to attract investment, it should focus on promoting institutional reliability, skill development, and adherence to existing labor laws—such as enforcing overtime pay and auditing after-hours demands—rather than marketing the exhaustion of its workforce as a competitive feature.
Article source: Indian Express | Image credit: Indian Express