"70 hours? That was just last week," says Abhay, his laughter barely concealing the fatigue from being a cog in the relentless machine of India's nearly $200 billion IT industry. In the very next breath, he talks of his impending six-month sabbatical, a defiance against the work-till-you-collapse ethos that pervades the industry.
"I'm done for the year," he asserts, "I've earned my respite." Abhay, whose surname is withheld to protect his identity, is a top-tier engineer whose expertise in cybersecurity makes him a hot commodity.
Why, then, amidst this backdrop of burnout and escape, does Narayana Murthy's call for a 70-hour work week not just perplex but deeply unsettle me? It's a war cry that seems to reverberate from a different era, one that is at odds with the future that once seemed promised - a future where work serves life, not the other way around.
"Do you know," Abhay tells me, "that while I can take a break, many of my college friends are still coding for giants like Infosys and Wipro? Their salaries have been stagnant for over a decade. It's disheartening to see the fresher's paychecks barely budge while the CXOs' compensation soars to new heights with each passing year."
A Century's Leap Backward?
Abhay's need for a break from the relentless tech world reminds us of past efforts to balance work and life, like Keynes' dream of a short work week and Ford's bold move to give workers weekends off. These were significant steps back then aimed at making work more human.
Keynes' 1930 vision of a 15-hour work week, a future where technology liberates rather than enslaves, starkly contrasts with the present reality, where the measure of one's life is too often the measure of one's work.
Earlier, in 1922, the Ford Motor Company made headlines with its commitment to a five-day workweek, a revolutionary concept at the time. "Every man needs more than one day a week for rest and recreation," Edsel Ford proclaimed, emphasizing the importance of an "ideal home life".
Closer to home, there's the poignant Bollywood adage from 'Anand': "Babu Moshai, Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi..." (Life should be large, not necessarily long), which underscores the quest for a meaningful existence over mere longevity.
Drawing from 'Anand's' profound insight that life's value is in its richness, not its duration, we find a stark contrast in industry veterans like Sunil Shetty, who echoes a sentiment of relentless pursuit, often at the cost of life's breadth.
The celebrities such as Virat Kohli and Ratan Tata that Shetty mentions are indeed paragons of their fields, but their stories are not just about hours worked. They are about passion, talent, and, yes, hard work - but also about the support systems, opportunities, and sometimes sheer luck that contribute to such exceptional careers.
Can we expect, or even demand, this level of commitment from everyone, or does it risk setting a dangerous precedent?
The Assembly Line Mentality
In the age of AI, where machines are poised to relieve us of repetitive tasks, the call for a 70-hour work week from industry veterans like Narayana Murthy seems out of place.
The push for longer hours by industry stalwarts like Murthy echoes a bygone era-an era we moved away from for our collective well-being. The assembly line mentality prioritizes quantity and efficiency, often at the expense of creativity, innovation, and well-being.
Are we advancing or regressing? Can we aspire to a different kind of progress-one that doesn't equate worth with weariness?
Encouraging every young individual to adopt this intense, hours-focused work ethic may not only be unrealistic but could also lead to burnout and a loss of innovation and creativity. It's crucial to recognize that different industries, roles, and individuals may require varied approaches to work.
I believe the debate over the 70-hour work week is more than a question of productivity - it's a question of purpose.
In a world where AI can drive our cars, write our codes, and even create art, what is the role of the human professional? How do we navigate a landscape that is ever-changing, ever-evolving, and increasingly autonomous? These are not questions with easy answers, but they must be asked.
Academic Inferno
This debate takes a grim turn when we examine the pressure cooker environment of India's competitive exams. The relentless pursuit of academic excellence has pushed many to the brink, with Kota's coaching centres becoming a grim reminder of this epidemic. The crisis in our educational institutions is a microcosm of the larger issue, reflecting a work culture that equates success with long hours and relentless effort.
In such a climate, the advocacy for a 70-hour work week seems not just out of touch but dangerously negligent.
The city of Kota, known as the coaching capital of India, has become synonymous with this relentless pressure. Every year, thousands of students flock to the city with dreams of cracking the coveted exams. The NCRB data is alarming, with a 70% increase in student suicides over a decade, and Kota alone witnessing 24 such tragedies this year.
And the crisis doesn't end there. Even those who make it to the IITs are not immune to the pressures. Cases of suicides in these premier institutions are on the rise, with academic stress and the struggle to belong being cited as the prime reasons. The competitive culture, the lack of adequate support systems, and the stigma around mental health are creating a perfect storm, pushing students to the edge.
I recently spoke to an undergrad at one of the IITs and asked how he feels about the recent spate of suicides. "Some of us can't bear the relentless pressure," he confided. "The grind doesn't stop after you survive the gauntlet of the entrance exams."
This relentless pursuit of excellence doesn't pause to catch its breath; it simply morphs into the next challenge, the next steep climb. Now, imagine these young minds, already forged in the crucible of academic rigour, stepping into a workplace that demands a 70-hour work week.
As I reflect on these harrowing stories, I can't help but draw parallels with the corporate world. The 70-hour work week, the glorification of overwork, the assembly line mindset - a culture permeating every aspect of our lives, from education to employment. And it's leaving a trail of broken dreams and shattered lives.
Erosion of Work Ethic?
Is the uproar over a 70-hour work week and the 'moonlighting is a crime' stance not about the hours but about a commitment to work that is waning? Are we facing a crisis of commitment rather than a problem of overwork?
Over the weekend, I spent time in two long conversations trying to explore the other side of the coin. The first, a 39-year-old start-up founder, had recently instituted a policy mandating a four-day physical office presence, a move that rippled with controversy. "You know how tough it's become to extract work from the youth? They're touchy, tentative, and distracted," he confided.
Later, a CEO of a top talent firm agreed. "It's no longer an HR or culture issue," he remarked, "it's fast becoming a core business concern. The questions of delegation and oversight have never been more pressing."
These encounters left me wondering if the essence of Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week commentary was more about work ethic.
Could there be merit in expecting a certain work ethic, irrespective of the hours?
Perhaps, then, the uproar over Murthy's call to arms and is rooted in a deeper issue. It's not merely about the number of hours clocked but about a commitment to the work.
This reflection does not negate the concerns I've raised about the mental and emotional toll of overwork. However, it does compel us to consider the other side of the coin-a side where the discipline of work ethic is in jeopardy.
Living Large, Not Long
What are the costs of this relentless push? The burnout, the mental health crises, the lost moments with family - aren't these just as important as the accolades and achievements?
We live in an era where technology and AI are reshaping the very fabric of work. The skills needed today are vastly different from those of the past. Does it make sense to adapt our work ethic to this new reality rather than cling to an outdated model that may no longer serve us?
As we scrutinize the 70-hour work week, let's not mistake relentless toil for true achievement. 'Anand' reminded us that a fulfilling life isn't measured in hours but in moments and connections. So, let's redefine success to mean more than career highs - let's include the health of our hearts and the joy in our journey. After all, it's the richness of our experiences, not the length of our workdays, that truly defines us.
(Pankaj Mishra has been a journalist for over two decades and is the co-founder of FactorDaily.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.
