Underpaid, overworked, but not out of options: Bengaluru techies look at other IT hubs after 14-hour work day proposal

Tech professionals in Bengaluru are starting to feel the pressure of the possibility of an increase in daily office hours to 14.

The Karnataka government is reportedly planning to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, to increase the working hours of IT employees to 14 hours per day. According to the new proposal, “an employee working in IT/ITeS/BPO sector may be required or allowed to work for more than 12 hours in a day and not exceeding 125 hours in three continuous months.”

The proposed changes have made employees uneasy and have been strongly opposed by other stakeholders. While these employees and stakeholders have the luxury of raising their voices against the new proposal, the graduating engineering batch is struggling to find backup.

Overworked, underpaid

Dhruv Rohira, a BITS Pilani graduate, has recently started working as a full-time employee in Bengaluru. Even though he sometimes puts in extra hours, he believes that doing it voluntarily and out of compulsion brings out very different emotions.

Some people have raised the issue of employees in Karnataka already working unofficially from home. Many IT employees share the opinion that they have often had to go home and continue working from home unofficially — i.e. without pay — and this trend has increased specifically after the Covid pandemic. The techies fear that an official increase in the working hours would mean that they will have to clock in 14 hours per day, and then continue to work from home unofficially.

“Considering the present working conditions, where most of the employees work even after the working hours at their home because of the work pressure, and the official working hours are increased to 14, it would highly affect the mental condition of the employees,” said Sanya Keshari, who recently returned to Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women after completing an internship in Bengaluru.

Karnataka government is planning to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, to increase the working hours of IT employees to 14 hours/ day (representative image/ pexels)

Some employees working in Bengaluru for the past few years raised concerns about either quitting their jobs or hiring extra help to take care of their children and family members.

“In Bengaluru, you can reach a place faster by walking than driving. I have a toddler, so I have to prepare her for school, prepare her meals, etc., and then go to the office. Increased work hours will force me to leave my job as my daughter needs me more than her father. She relies more on me than him,” said Neelam Acharya, who lives near Halasuru.

When asked if she would be willing to hire a nanny for her daughter if the office hours increase, she mentioned strong disapproval due to security concerns. “I have heard a lot of news about how nannies do not care about the child and sometimes hit the child also. So it will never be any option for me,” she explained.

Mental health experts caution companies about this decision as they believe that an extension in work hours will negatively impact employees’ physical and mental health.

“Health is just not physical or mental; it involves both physical and mental health, which are interdependent. Increased work hours will impact work efficiency and increase the chances of work burnout. There are studies which suggest work-related stress and burnout increase health problems like frequent headaches, hypertension, sleeping difficulties, digestion issues, etc. The level of depression, anxiety and aggression will also increase. Employees’ social lives will be impacted. They will be unable to make a work-life balance,” said Dr Kriti Vyas, a consultant counselling psychologist with a PhD in psychology.

If such a proposal is approved, then the companies should reduce the total working days from six to five and from five to four. “Regular physical and mental check-ups should be there for all the employees. Every organisation should have an in-house mental health set-up, and leisure breaks or mental health breaks should be given to employees periodically,” Dr Kriti added.

However, some people still hope this proposal will not be approved. “I don’t think it will be amended, as according to the central labour laws, one can work a maximum of 10 hours a day. Even when I give extra hours, I don’t get extra money. In fact, during appraisal season, the overtime hours are not reflected fully in terms of money. During a time when more companies are opening hybrid options, I think this step will take us backwards,” said Sandeep Gupta, a native of Haryana now based in Bengaluru.

“I know India is a developing country, and we need people who give their heart and soul to the country’s progress, but that doesn’t mean it should come at a cost to our family life, personal space, and mental health. When foreign countries reduce their work hours, at least we can expect our country to have stable work hours,” added Gupta.

When asked why he chose to relocate from his hometown to Bengaluru, he mentioned that he has a background in technology and there are more job opportunities with better pay in the southern part of the country.

How the world functions

In India, an adult can work 48 hours per week, roughly 8.5 to 9.5 hours daily, five days a week. However, there are several countries around the world where the number of working hours exceeds that of India.

UAE has one of the highest legal working hours among the top countries, at 52.5 hours. Gambia and Bhutan also have working hours above 50, at 50.8 and 50.7, respectively.

However, developed countries such as the United States (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have chosen to maintain a limit of less than 50 hours per week.

As per the UK government, one cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average — normally averaged over 17 weeks. Additionally, minors cannot work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. Even in the US, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that any work over 40 hours in 168 hours will be counted as overtime since the average American work week is 40 hours, i.e. eight hours per day for five days a week. A similar 48-hour rule is followed in Germany and other European countries, too. These countries also have strict rules for overtime.

Working hours of some of the top companies around the world. (Graphics by Abhishek Mitra)

In these countries, the headquarters of some major multinational corporations (MNCs) also adhere to the same working hour regulations. For instance, companies like Samsung and Sony follow 45 hours per week, while others like Intel, Siemens, Dell, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, and more have a 40-hour work week policy.

Even in India, these companies typically follow similar working hours. For example, Samsung operates on eight-hour shifts from 9 am to 6 pm, but working hours could extend to 10-12 hours on some days.

Abandon Bengaluru?

Employees claim that Bengaluru will no longer be the only IT hub in India in 2024. IT workers are happy to relocate to other parts of the country, such as Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurugram, which are considered to be the country’s next IT hubs.

“Even Ahmedabad is evolving into an IT hub now, and we have numerous other options,” added Dhruv.

Some employees who are not from Karnataka are also raising issues related to hostility toward non-Kannadigas. “My experience in Bengaluru was mixed. Some of the people were so welcoming and always greeted with a smile, but some people, such as the PG caretakers and auto-drivers, would leave no chance to loot you. Sometimes, they even comment on us in the local language,” recalled Sanya.

Another option that a few other graduating engineers are considering is moving abroad for a job. A 28-year-old from Kolkata said that while earlier she was sure about finding a job in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune or Gurugram, she will now try harder for abroad-based jobs.

“It is Karnataka today, and it can be Pune, Hyderabad, Gurugram, or even West Bengal next. If this proposal is accepted, who knows what will happen once this wave begins? I think it is better to move abroad and get the worth of my efforts rather than slogging here for taunts and underpaid corporate life,” she said.

Some engineers already working abroad do not regret their decision, even after mass layoffs. “I was placed in an MNC through my campus recruitment and have been here for over two years. I have survived the layoff wave, but even then, I do not regret choosing the US over Indian companies. There is a huge difference between Indian and Western corporate culture. I am not saying I have never worked overtime, but my efforts have been acknowledged, appreciated and paid accordingly. The toxicity and the ‘I own you’ attitude is not present here and I would prefer that any day,” said a 29-year-old.