From 70-Hour Grind to Four-Day Week: India Workplace Culture Under Debate

The concept of a four-day workweek faces significant challenges in India, where both government and non-governmental organizations primarily operate on a six-day schedule. While some companies in larger cities have experimented with a shorter workweek, the results have been mixed. In industries like advertising, where client demands are high, implementing a four-day workweek could create bottlenecks and increased pressure on working days, potentially exacerbating mental health issues. Furthermore, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution, as certain industries, such as manufacturing, services, and customer-facing roles, may not easily adapt to this model.

Some corporate leaders, including Murthy, have promoted this approach as giving Indian organizations a competitive advantage over slower Western counterparts. The debate revolves around work-life balance and differing views on the role of hard work in boosting a nation's productivity and prosperity. While Sudha Murty and Bhavish Aggarwal support a rigorous work ethic, others express concerns about its impact on personal lives and well-being.

Amid polarized views on social media post-Murthy's comments, Ola's co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Bhavish Aggarwal, took to X to support him. In a post, he said, "I totally agree with Mr. Murthy's views. It's not our moment to work less and entertain ourselves. Rather, it's our moment to go all in and build in one generation what other countries have built over many generations!" upGrad's Ronnie Screwvala disagrees.

upGrad founder Ronnie Screwvala, however, disagreed. In a separate post, he said, "Boosting productivity isn't just about working longer hours. It's about getting better at what you do - upskilling, having a positive work environment, and fair pay for the work done. Quality of work done > clocking in more hours."

Mansi Poddar, India's renowned psychotherapist and mental health expert, said, “To enhance productivity, it is incorrect to associate it with the number of work hours like a 70-hour workweek. Both are not connected. Productivity is influenced by various factors, one of which is meaningful work and the implementation of regulations prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of employees, and creating a gender and sexuality-sensitive workplace. A uniform policy of working long hours without a clear purpose and meaningful work will not result in increased productivity. To work long hours, people need sufficient out-of-office support for basic necessities like meals, childcare, elderly care, and transportation, which is not possible for all. Forcing employees into this oppressive idea will result in issues such as addiction, anxiety, and depression."

From a country perspective, a significant shift towards four-day workweeks is anticipated in the U.S., with 22% of workers expecting this change in their industry within the next five years. Surprisingly, many Gen Z and millennial employees are willing to work fully in-person in exchange for a shorter workweek. They're even open to sacrifices like longer hours, changing jobs, working weekends, or taking a pay cut. In the UK, a massive four-day workweek trial involving 61 companies and around 2,900 workers resulted in 92% of the companies adopting the format, with 18 confirming it's a permanent policy.