Amid ongoing debates over 9- vs 10-hour workdays, India’s tech giant Infosys has urged employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance, highlighting the health risks of excessive overtime. In a personalized email to staff, the company encouraged adherence to standard working hours, 9.15 hours a day, five days a week.
The move comes in contrast to comments made by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy in 2023, who suggested that Indian youth should work 70 hours a week to boost national productivity and compete with global economies like China.
As reported by The Economic Times, Infosys’ HR team sends health reminder emails to employees whose average monthly working hours exceed the standard 9.15 hours per day, five days a week. These emails emphasize the importance of work-life balance and include specific data on remote work hours.
“If we exceed the 9.15-hour mark while working remotely, it triggers a reminder,” one employee told the publication. The emails also outline the number of remote workdays, total hours logged, and average hours worked per day.
Infosys is also encouraging employees to take regular breaks, speak up if feeling overwhelmed, delegate tasks when necessary, and disconnect after work hours to recharge. “Take time to recharge during off hours, minimizing work-related interactions whenever possible,” one email advised. This new initiative was rolled out following the adoption of a hybrid work model at Infosys. The HR team has been assigned the responsibility of monitoring employees’ work hours while they work remotely.