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Journalism of Courage
Narayana Murthy 72 Hour Work Week: India’s work culture is at a crossroads. On one side, there’s a growing demand for balance, flexibility, and mental health. On the other hand, industry veterans like Narayana Murthy argue that relentless dedication — akin to China’s 9-9-6 schedule can propel the nation forward. His comments have reignited a fiery debate about how much is too much when it comes to work.
But beyond the debate lies a more fundamental question: what do India’s labour laws actually allow? With statutory caps on weekly hours and mandated rest periods, Murthy’s vision collides head-on with the legal framework that governs employment in our country.
The labour laws in India are in the concurrent list means both the state and central governments can legislate on them. Due to this, there are various laws in our country on labour.
Like centrally there is, the Employees’ State Insurance Act, Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, Equal Remuneration Act, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act, Payment of Gratuity Act, Payment of Wages Act, among others.
Under the Factories Act, 1948, the law is clear about how much an adult worker can be asked to work:
Daily limit: No more than 9 hours in a single day.
Weekly limit: Capped at 48 hours (Section 51).
Spread-over: Including rest intervals, the total span of work should not exceed 10.5 hours a day, though it can be stretched to 12 hours with special sanction from the Chief Inspector of Factories (Sections 51, 56).
Breaks: Workers must be given at least a 30-minute break after every 5 hours of continuous work (Section 55).
Weekly holiday: One day off each week—usually Sunday—though substitutions are allowed with proper notice (Section 52).
Night shifts: If a shift runs past midnight, the “day” is counted from the end of that shift (Section 57).
However, under the Shops and Establishments Act, working hours differ across states but broadly mirror the provisions of the Factories Act, limiting employees to 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week. The law also requires designated rest breaks and weekly holidays in line with these standards.
Overtime provisions under the Factories Act, 1948, are designed to protect workers from excessive hours while ensuring fair compensation:
Overtime applies when any work beyond 9 hours in a day or 48 hours in a week (Section 59).
Wages: Overtime must be paid at twice the ordinary rate of wages (Section 59).
Limits: Maximum overtime is capped at 4 hours per day, 48 hours per month, and 75 hours per quarter (Section 65).
Consecutive days: No employee can be required to work overtime for more than 7 days in a row (Section 65).
Female workers: Overtime requires express approval from the authorities (Section 65).
Record-keeping: Employers must maintain a Register of Overtime (Form 23) with employee names, hours worked, and wage calculations (Rule 79).
Transparency: Notices of working hours and shifts must be displayed and maintained in compliance with Sections 58 and 108(2).
The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, lays down the framework for India’s minimum wage compliance. Its core principle is simple: every employee must be paid enough to secure a minimum standard of living.
Wages under this Act are not limited to basic pay alone; they also include allowances such as Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and other special allowances.
Importantly, minimum wages are not uniform across the country. They vary widely between states and union territories, reflecting local economic conditions, cost of living, and the nature of industry. Each state government has the authority to fix and periodically revise its own rates. These rates can differ based on:
–Skill level: unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, or highly skilled workers
–Location: urban versus rural areas
–Type of employment: Industry-specific categories
This is not the first time Murthy ignited a work week debate, which has received strong reactions from employees. Earlier, he reiterated his stance on the 70-hour workweek, stating that he does not believe in the concept of ‘work-life balance’.
His comments came in the backdrop when, according to the International Labour Organisation report 2024, India is one of the most overworked countries in the world, where workers have been putting in some of the longest hours, 46.7 hours per week per employed person. Also, 51 per cent of India’s workforce is logging 49 or more hours per week, placing it in the second rank among the countries with the highest number of extended working hours.
| Countries | Per week average working hours |
| United Arab Emirates | 52.6 |
| Gambia | 50.8 |
| Bhutan | 50.7 |
| Lesotho | 49.8 |
| Congo | 48.6 |
| Qatar | 48 |
| India | 47.7 |
| Mauritania | 47.5 |
| Liberia | 47.2 |
| Bangladesh | 46.9 |
Globally, countries like the United Arab Emirates (50.9 hours, 39 per cent) and Lesotho (50.4 hours, 36 per cent) also report high average weekly working hours, but India stands out for the proportion of its workforce going beyond the 49-hour mark.
Vanuatu has emerged as the country with the shortest average working hours per employed person. Workers in Vanuatu clock an average of just 24.7 hours per week, the lowest among all surveyed nations.
Developed countries like the United States (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have opted to maintain a work limit of fewer than 50 hours per week. According to the UK government, individuals cannot work more than an average of 48 hours per week, typically calculated over 17 weeks. Additionally, minors are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours of work per day or 40 hours per week.
In the USA, the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA) stipulates that any hours worked over 40 in 168 hours will be classified as overtime, as the average American work week consists of 40 hours—specifically, eight hours a day for five days a week. Similarly, Germany and other European countries also adhere to a 48-hour work week rule and enforce strict regulations regarding overtime.
