© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Countries with the longest and shortest work hours in the world: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan has ignited a significant discussion on social media by proposing that employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays, to maintain a competitive edge.
This controversy echoes a tragic incident from last year when a 26-year-old EY Pune employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, passed away a mere four months into her job, reportedly due to the strains of extensive working hours.
This unfortunate event raised alarms about the pervasive, unhealthy work culture within the corporate world.
The issue of excessive working hours is not new; it has resurfaced in the spotlight as many workplaces return to pre-pandemic norms, despite increased emphasis on employee well-being and the balance between work and life.
The ILO Declaration of Philadelphia emphasizes that everyone deserves the right to pursue their material well-being and spiritual growth in an environment that respects freedom, dignity, economic security, and equal opportunity.
Yet, the reality is that working hours vary significantly around the globe. Since the dawn of the industrial age, various challenges related to working hours have endured, and even with established international labour standards, many of these issues persist today.
Overworking has emerged as a significant public health concern, with alarming statistics highlighting its detrimental effects on both productivity and health.
Working long hours is now recognised as the risk factor with the highest occupational disease burden, according to research from the WHO and ILO.
While limiting the number of hours of work to protect workers’ health has been a significant issue for more than a century, the emergence of work-life balance as a significant social goal came much later.
Randstad’s Workmonitor report highlights that 93.7% of employees believe that work-life balance is essential, with the majority stating they wouldn’t accept a role if it negatively affected their work-life balance.
This clearly emphasises that work today is more than merely fulfilling workers’ material needs; it also involves offering opportunities for individuals to lead fulfilling personal lives and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
The International Labour Organisation has released data on average working hours and the prevalence of excessive working time—based on hours of work and working time arrangements (work schedules).
Despite its relatively small population of approximately 700,000, Bhutan ranks as the country with the highest average working hours globally.
Employees in Bhutan work an average of 54.4 hours per week.
Following Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates and Lesotho report high working hours, averaging 50.9 and 50.4 hours per week, respectively. Here are the top 10 countries with the longest average working hours:
Followed by the United Arab Emirates with 50.9 hours and Lesotho, with 50.4 hours reporting high average weekly working hours; Here are the top 10 countries with the longest working hours, based on average hours per week.
| Rank | Country | Average hours per week | Share of employed working ≥ 49 hours/week |
| 1 | Bhutan | 54.4 | 61% |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 50.9 | 39% |
| 3 | Lesotho | 50.4 | 36% |
| 4 | Congo | 48.6 | 45% |
| 5 | Qatar | 48.0 | 29% |
| 6 | Liberia | 47.7 | 27% |
| 7 | Mauritania | 47.6 | 46% |
| 8 | Lebanon | 47.6 | 38% |
| 9 | Mongolia | 47.3 | 33% |
| 10 | Jordan | 47.0 | 34% |
Source: Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) Database, ILOSTAT
Note: Last update January 11, 2024
Vanuatu has emerged as the country with the fewest average working hours per employed person.
Employees in Vanuatu work an average of only 24.7 hours per week, which is the lowest of any of the countries analysed.
Furthermore, barely 4% of Vanuatu’s workforce works 49 hours or more each week, which contrasts sharply with worldwide labour trends.
| Rank | Country | Average hours per week | Share of employed working ≥ 49 hours/week |
| 1 | Vanuatu | 24.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Kiribati | 27.3 | 10% |
| 3 | Micronesia | 30.4 | 2% |
| 4 | Rwanda | 30.4 | 12% |
| 5 | Somalia | 31.4 | 10% |
| 6 | Netherlands | 31.6 | 6% |
| 7 | Iraq | 31.7 | 5% |
| 8 | Wallis and Futuna Islands | 31.8 | 6% |
| 9 | Ethiopia | 31.9 | 15% |
| 10 | Canada | 32.1 | 9% |
Source: Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) Database, ILOSTAT
Note: Last update January 11, 2024
India is ranked 13th among the world’s most overworked countries, with workers logging some of the longest hours.
According to the International Labour Organisation, the average Indian worker works 46.7 hours each week, with 51 per cent of India’s workforce working 49 or more hours each week, ranking India second among countries with the highest rates of prolonged working hours.
According to a survey by MediBuddy and CII, over 62 per cent of Indian employees suffer burnout, which is three times the worldwide average of 20 per cent, as a result of work-related stress and poor work-life balance.
The findings spark crucial debates on work-life balance and labour policies as India’s workforce pushes the boundaries of long working hours.
