"No, Mr Narayana Murthy, 70-hour Week is Not for Me."
"No, Mr Narayana Murthy, 70-hour Week is Not for Me."
"Why Mr Narayana Murthy's 70-Hour Work Week is Outdated"
Revisiting the 70-Hour Work Week: A Cautionary Tale
Mr NR Narayana Murthy, a doyen in the Indian IT sector, has triggered a debate by advocating for a 70-hour work week, in a podcast that went public on YouTube today (October 26, 2023). While his monumental contributions to the industry are beyond dispute, this particular call to action merits close scrutiny. In an era fundamentally altered by technological advances and shifts in societal expectations, we must question whether such a gruelling work regimen is in harmony with modern perspectives on productivity, work-life balance, and the overall well-being of employees.
Context Matters: The Changed Landscape of Work
We are not living in the same historical context that demanded excessive working hours to rebuild nations. Indeed, countries like Germany and Japan adopted intense work ethics to rise from the ashes of the Second World War. While such an ethos might have been pertinent in the 1950s and '60s, it is less applicable today, especially for Millennials. These younger professionals operate in an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, far removed from the exigencies that shaped earlier generations.
Questioning the Employer-Employee Dynamic
Mr Narayana Murthy, at the age of 77, appears to be espousing a view rooted in an outdated paradigm of the employer-employee relationship. His perspective resonates with a master-servant dynamic that, while perhaps relevant in past decades, is increasingly being questioned in today's evolving work landscape. While some traditional regulations might suggest that government employees are perpetually at the disposal of their employer, this should not be the standard for contemporary employment settings. The premise that an employee should dedicate their blood, sweat, and tears for the exclusive enrichment of the company not only feels anachronistic but also invites ethical scrutiny in a world concerned with work-life balance and employee well-being.
Work-Life Balance in a Globalised World
The standard 40-hour workweek is a globally recognised norm, primarily designed to safeguard the well-being of employees. Countries like France and Germany are even exploring the feasibility of reducing work hours to 35 per week or implementing a four-day workweek. This shift recognises the evolving family structures and lifestyle needs of younger workers, many of whom live in nuclear families without the extended support system of parents and siblings. The age-old paradigm where the employer wielded near-absolute power over the employee is increasingly becoming obsolete.
Labour Laws and Overtime: A Legal Perspective
While employees in IT companies may not be classified as 'workmen' under Indian labour laws, it's important to highlight that those who are so classified are entitled to overtime pay at twice their regular wage rate. Furthermore, Indian regulations prohibit overtime exceeding four hours per day, essentially capping the workday at 12 hours. This leads to a pertinent question: Does Infosys, or similar firms advocating a 70-hour workweek, offer any form of overtime compensation in alignment with these legal stipulations?
Incentives and Employee Benefits: A Comparative Analysis
Companies that expect a higher level of commitment usually offer commensurate incentives. This prompts one to question whether Indian tech companies, much like their international counterparts, provide appealing sweat equity schemes that vest stock options based on performance and conduct. Traditional bonuses, such as a Diwali bonus equivalent to a month's salary, often do not apply to IT sectors, possibly due to salaries surpassing the legally mandated threshold for such bonuses.
The Global Perspective on Employee Treatment and its Repercussions
Indian IT professionals are no longer confined to the labels of 'sweatshops' or 'cyber coolies,' expected to labour for 70 hours a week. Any company advocating for such strenuous work hours should re-evaluate its HR practices and corporate governance philosophy. It's worth noting that international clients are increasingly vigilant about workforce exploitation and can easily blacklist outsourcing companies that violate ethical norms. Reputed multinational corporations are unlikely to engage with Indian companies where the norm is a gruelling 70-hour workweek for employees.
The Inhibitors to Creativity in a Demanding Work Environment
In a sector as innovative as information technology, creativity is not just an asset but a necessity. Operating under a 70-hour workweek—essentially 10 hours a day for seven days—does not foster a climate for creativity; instead, it risks turning employees into submissive drones engaged in monotonous tasks. Work environments like this are unlikely to produce groundbreaking ideas or to cultivate companies that stand apart in terms of innovation and success.
The Evolution of Societal Expectations and Ethical Standards
Times have certainly evolved, along with societal expectations. Where our parents may have travelled by foot or cycle to school, and we perhaps used school buses, today's youth may well be commuting in modest cars. The world has changed markedly since the days when Mr Narayana Murthy and his contemporaries entered the workforce. While a strong work ethic remains invaluable, exploiting an employee by draining them of their energy—and by extension, their productive years—is ethically questionable, if not outright condemnable.
The Generation Gap and Shifting Perspectives
I find myself particularly disappointed by Mr Narayana Murthy's remarks. While likely well-intentioned, such statements have the potential to send tremors through the corporate landscape and incite resistance from younger employees. These individuals wish to find joy in their work within the IT sector or other fields, all while maintaining a vigorous and meaningful personal life. Considering nearly two-thirds of India's population is below the age of 35, their philosophy and attitudes towards life—as well as their 'Ikigai' or reason for being—differ significantly from my generation or that of Mr Narayana Murthy, which predates even mine by about a decade and a half1.
The Role of Modern Technology and Job Displacement
Enterprises worldwide, Indian companies included, have access to modern tools like artificial intelligence that can potentially amplify employee productivity two or threefold. Coupled with this is the ethical concern: when an individual works 70 hours a week, they're essentially occupying the employment space of another person. As we equip our industries with these modern tools, we're looking at a disruptive shift. Tasks that once required the labour of three employees might now be accomplished by just one, possibly with greater efficiency.
The Impact of AI on Outsourcing and Future Job Market
A significant and influential school of thought posits that the outsourcing industry in countries like India, the Philippines, and Eastern European nations is on the brink of a considerable contraction. Nearly 80% of the tasks currently performed by humans are predicted to be automated through AI-enabled applications and software. What would remain for the human operator is largely the refinement, polishing, and final touches on the work output.
The Role of Industry Leaders in Shaping Work Culture
One might expect industry stalwarts like Mr Narayana Murthy, who have dedicated their lives to building enterprises anchored in integrity and ethics, to evolve in their viewpoints. Had these comments advocating a 70-hour workweek come from a lesser-known figure or a politician, they might have been dismissed as mere rhetoric. However, emanating from a patriarch of the IT industry like Mr Narayana Murthy, they raise considerable concerns for me.
While I don't endorse the Gen Z work culture that strictly adheres to a 9-to-5 schedule and remains unreachable during weekends, I believe the highly qualified and motivated younger generation does not need this kind of unsolicited advice, popularly described as “gyaan”. Mr Narayana Murthy would be well advised to step back from public commentary, especially when making statements that are out of sync with contemporary work-life norms.
Includes video interview clip of Lenovo CTO with Bilawal Sidhu, our honorary Tech Adviser,.
https://instagram.com/stories/billyfx.ig/3222185953106596177?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==
During eightees, I purchased a book from Childern Book Trust, New Delhi on Computer fiction. I was written in the book that in coming years, Computers will take over most of the official work and poeple will be able to finish their work within 2-3 hours and can spend rest of the time on leisure and entertainment. But in fact work has never finished without any leisure time and prophecy proved a real fiction.
In fact, exploitation of working class is not yet over especially in unorganised sector.
Very cogent piece! This is one of the dumbest suggestions he has made from a position of exalted influence. He seems to be motivated by PM’s speech where he wanted to give primacy to Fundamental Duty over Fundamental Rights. These are emotional blackmailing tactics for the benefit of vested groups.
My random additional thoughts are the following:
1. Karl Marx had studied to find that it took only 6 hours of work for workers to produce enough for society to lead a decent life. Any extra hour of work would only go for disproportionate accumulation of wealth by capitalists. This was in the days when brute & longer hours were the tools of production. Today, the dynamics is altogether different. Probably 3 hours work would be enough to achieve similar result.
2. Even if I ignore Marx & assume that extra hours will lead to enrichment of workers for better future of their progenies, why Mr. Murthy has forgotten the concept of inter-generational equity & Justice? Every generation must enjoy the fruits of its labour for itself.
3. When youth unemployment in our country is 23% which will look still more when factored for disguised unemployment then thought of additional working hours sounds crazy. Need of the hour is to improve the human qualities rather than using them as robots.
4. What will happen to women work force who are supposed to shoulder family responsibilities in considerable measure? They will simply be priced out. Apparently Mr. Murthy is comfortable with this idea. His wife, though equally educated, had reconciled to sitting at home which Mr. Murthy considers as her sacrifice.
Mr. Murthy seems to be overripe now.