Longer Workdays, Same Pay: The New Work-Life Dilemma

The Government of Telangana has announced a new policy allowing employees in all commercial establishments, except shops, to work up to ten hours a day. Officials say the move is meant to improve the ease of doing business and give companies more flexibility in how they operate.

Under the new rules, the total working hours per employee must not exceed forty-eight hours in a week. If workers are required to go beyond this limit, employers must pay them overtime wages as per the law.

The government has included certain safeguards to protect employees. If someone works more than six hours a day, they must be given a thirty-minute rest break.

Also, no employee can be asked to work more than twelve hours in any single day, even including overtime. The maximum overtime allowed has been capped at one hundred forty-four hours per quarter.

Telangana’s decision comes at a time when India is debating how many hours people should work. Earlier this year, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Factories (Amendment) Act, 2023, extending daily work shifts to twelve hours for factory workers.

Tamil Nadu’s government said weekly working hours would remain unchanged, and workers could choose to work four days a week and have three days off.

The policy has sparked strong reactions on social media. A popular satirical post by a user read, “Telangana permits commercial establishments to increase work hours from 8 to 10 per day. Translation: ‘Why stop at burnout when you can industrialise it?’ Because nothing says ‘Ease of Doing Business’ like ‘Less of Living Life.’”

The post continued, “India’s new startup model: 10-hour workdays, 1-hour commute, 0-hour personal time, free WiFi, unlimited pressure. Congrats, Telangana! Now every chaiwala and chemist can proudly say: ‘We’re open longer than your mental health can last.’”

The comment also mocked the idea of unchanged salaries, saying: “Join us! We offer the same salary in 25% more time. Work-life balance? Nah. It’s Work-Life-Blur now.”

It ended by recalling colonial times: “Even Britishers had the decency to give Sundays off after 8 hours of plantation labour. Here, we raise working hours in the name of ‘economic growth’ while sitting inside AC cabins.”

While Indian states debate longer hours, many countries are testing or adopting four-day workweeks. Several recent trials across the globe reinforce that the four‑day workweek—typically 32 hours instead of 40, with full pay—can maintain or boost productivity while significantly improving mental health and job satisfaction.

In the UK, a six‑month trial ending just days ago involved 17 companies and nearly 1,000 employees. All participating businesses, from charities to tech firms, opted to continue with four‑day weeks or nine‑day fortnights upon conclusion.

Surveys by Boston College found 62% of workers reported less burnout, 45% experienced greater life satisfaction, and 41% saw improved mental health.

Leading business figures have expressed different views on the matter. Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra stressed that the quality of work is more important than simply working long hours.

In contrast, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy argued that young Indians should work seventy hours a week to make the country more competitive. Larsen & Toubro Chairman S. N. Subrahmanyan also supported longer workweeks. These opinions drew criticism from employees concerned about work-life balance and mental health.