The move by the government sparked widespread debate among various stakeholders, including employees, employers, and labour rights activists.
Published Aug 01, 2024 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 01, 2024 | 12:26 PM
The Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is antithetical to existing laws. (Representational Image/iStock)
Karnataka government’s ambitious bid to extend the working hours of private-sector employees to 14 hours has stirred a hornet’s nest, with many, including stakeholders, questioning the outcome of such a move.
The Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, tabled in the Assembly, seeks to amend Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, which caps the total daily working hours at 10, including overtime.
The Bill, however, is antithetical to the existing labour laws. Many expressed fear that it might affect productivity as well.
Incidentally, it all started with Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s statement that youngsters should be prepared to work 70 hours a week. Speaking to “The Record”, Infosys former CEO TV Mohandas Pai’s podcast, Murthy cited his example and the work culture in Germany and Japan.
If the Bill is passed in its current form, IT/ITeS companies can extend daily working hours.
The government’s move has sparked widespread debate among various stakeholders, including employees, employers, and labour rights activists.
However, to douse the fires caused by this proposal, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge stated that the Bill did not apply to all IT/ITeS verticals, but specific industries.
“The industry-specific demands that are being put forward to the Labour Department will be discussed. There is no need to have any knee-jerk reaction,” he told news agency ANI, indirectly referring to the protests against the Bill.
Labour Minister Santhosh Lad, however, claimed that the idea to extend working hours was not that of the government. He said the government went with the Bill due to the pressure from industry heads.
“Now, it is in the public domain and let all the IT company heads, employees, and the public discuss it. I want all the heads of these big companies to debate and express their views. There is dissent from IT employees. I want people to have their opinions. Based on that, we will look into what has to be done,” he said.
National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) Vice President and Head of Public Policy Ashish Aggarwal clarified that the trade association had not requested a 14-hour workday limit or a 70-hour workweek.
Asserting that he cannot comment in detail since he had not seen the Bill, Aggarwal said such a move would have far-reaching consequences on mental health and social well-being.
Implementation of the proposed policy would impact work-life balance. A 14-hour workday will leave little time for personal life, family, and rest.
“We have not seen the copy of the Bill in Karnataka so cannot comment on it. We fully support the 48-hour workweek, which is the standard across the country,” he said.
All we have asked of the states and the Union government is to consider some flexibility within this 48-hour limit. This would help companies with a pan-India presence to standardise their operations,” Aggarwal said.
“In Karnataka, we had a similar discussion with the IT department a few months ago. We did not, however, have a meeting with the labour department on this topic,” he added.
Sooraj Nidiyanga, secretary of the Karnataka State IT/ITes Employees Union (KITU), the largest union of IT employees in the state, told South First that the amendment was for IT/ITeS and BPO employees. They may be required or allowed to work more than 12 hours a day and 125 hours in a quarter.
“We told the Labour minister we will not allow this to happen and we will protest,” he said, adding that the amendment is only for IT/ITeS and BPO sector and not for manufacturing.
Clifton D’Rozario, lawyer and livelihoods activist, said a 14-hour working day was unacceptable. “Mr Naryayana Murthy’s grand statement on working long hours set the ground for this (Bill). His statement is not innocent. It is part of the entire process,” he opined.
South First sought the views of some big names in the IT industry on the proposed Bill.
Rohit Regonayak, Director – Technology of Bengaluru-based Trellisys.net Pvt Ltd, said it was an ill-advised move.
“Being an IT product development firm, it doesn’t affect us much since we don’t expect our team to put in more than eight-10 hours a day,” Regonayak said.
“However, we do feel that this is an ill-advised move, probably bowing down to lobbying by industry to enable them to cut corners and improve margins,” he added.
Sabre Global Capability Center (GCC) People Leader, India, and South Asia’s Rency Mathew told South First that while collaboration and productivity were crucial, it was vital for organisations to allow employees more flexibility in their working hours and trust them to do the necessary for the organisation to succeed.
“Flexibility at work has evolved from being a luxury to a necessity for many top job-seekers, with the work-life balance being the primary factor they consider when and where to work,” she said.
Citing research, she said, “88 percent of workers feel their definition of ‘success’ has changed. They now prioritise work-life balance, mental health, and having a meaningful job, over a steady paycheck.”
“The multi-year pandemic has also highlighted that a healthy workforce is important not only from a moral standpoint but also from a financial perspective,” she added.
Dale Carnegie Training India and Walchand PeopleFirst Ltd Chairperson & Managing Director Pallavi Jha told South First that encouraging a 14-hour workday would have a direct and adverse cost to society.
She explained that it would come at the expense of personal time impacting families, and emotional and mental well-being.
“Stretching work hours to meet immediate goals is acceptable as long as it is exceptional. A formal shift to 14 hours a day only means that companies are not willing to optimise their employee strength in proportion to the work involved. It can result in diminishing returns, as fatigue, stress, and demotivation kick in,” she said.
“Rather than enforcing longer workdays, we should look at creating policies that promote flexibility and work-life balance. A well-rested, happy employee is a productive employee. Let’s aim for sustainable productivity, not bursts of overwork that will inevitably burn out,” she added.
Jagdish Sheth School of Management Professor and Area Chair – HR Dr Shaji Kurian told South First that a 14-hour work plan was not feasible and might even be detrimental to the system.
“Numerous studies highlight the negative impact of extended work hours on employee health and productivity,” he said.
“In the IT/ITeS sector, where creativity, problem-solving, and innovation are critical, a 14-hour workday may be particularly harmful. Prolonged work hours can lead to cognitive fatigue, reducing the quality of work and increasing the likelihood of errors,” he added.
“Furthermore, the sector is known for its highly-skilled workforce, who may seek opportunities in regions or companies offering better work-life balance, potentially leading to talent attrition,” Kurian pointed out.
“An alternative approach would be to maintain the current workweek structure but introduce 1-2 hours of flexible work-from-home time. This flexibility would allow employees to complete tasks outside traditional office hours, using technology to track their productivity,” he said.
“This method can offer a better work-life balance without compromising productivity,” Kurian added.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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