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India is the largest hub of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) with 6,00,000 new jobs added over the last five years.GCCs have evolved from being cost-efficient operations centres to strategic hubs that deliver innovation and strategy. This is a testament to India’s strong talent, high agility and zealous passion for growth.
Given India’s geographical location, early morning meetings with Asia-Pacific, or late evening meetings with the US East Coast have become common. The worst affected are those who work with vendors in Asia-Pacific to support clients that are in the US. I am choosing to call the Indian corporate employees who serve in global roles as the Indian Globals.
In my opinion, an average Indian Global today struggles to work10-13 hours per day/night with office commute AND maintain one’s professionalism and sanity. ‘Work-life balance’ may be on its way to becoming a set of corporate words if individuals grapple with the pain of long working hours and the struggle to sustain. Most companies do emphasize work-life balance and leaders advise teams to decline meetings outside of work hours. But realistically, how many can decline meetings without a worry of consequence? Now imagine what happens when every employee is working outside of a normal circadian rhythm of 9am to 5pm. We get a new normal that hinges on an alternate pain-sustain balance that struggles to align with unnatural stress, strain and work timings.
Despite the odd hours, the Indian Global is hardworking and committed. The allure of a rewarding work environment keeps one sufficiently motivated. A successful journey is studded with recognitions and promotions that feed not only one’s ego but also keep one wanting for more. But at some point, the dazzle of success may blur some disregarded personal relationships, unheeded doctors’ advice, and omitted life plans.
While one may never be asked to ignore one’s personal priorities, the thrill of achievement and required long hours can allow the neglect to creep in. In the recent past, a few industry leaders and social media platforms have debated about how many hours one should work. While Infosys founder Mr.Narayana Murthy clarified his stand on a 70-hour week, he also shared that he himself worked from 6:20 am to 8:30 pm for 40-odd years. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman Mr.S N Subrahmanyam discussed a 90-hour week, even working on Sundays. But how can an average Indian Global sustain work demands when there are individual and social impacts?
Individually, physical strain, mental stress and burnout has increased annually with negative impact on personal well-being, even leading to suicides. A study in 2022 revealed that 11,486 Indian employees in private companies committed suicide due to work pressure. Just in the past year, a suicide that was allegedly due to extreme work pressure and stress, has sparked a debate about the detrimental impact of long hours and workplace culture on personal well-being.
Socially, career aspirations, increased infertility and financial strain have led to an increase in single-child families. A 2018 Indian survey showed that 76% of married women and 73% of men prefer a single child. Many say they have neither time nor energy nor money to raise two children. The long-term consequences for India could include a decline in working-age population in 2-3 decades, and these single children to be solely responsible to care for parents. Countries like China and Japan are already showing these signs that may impact their overall economic growth.
A recent report showed that 48% of GCCs plan for further expansion of workforce in FY26. The total employment in GCCs is projected to reach 2.8 – 4 million. Indian Globals may contribute to a gain of up to $0.8-$1.2 trillion by 20306. Attention needs to be paid to how to nurture the Indian Globals.
Individuals may consciously enforce a good set of controls to shift the pain-sustain balance towards effective work-life balance. A healthy work-life balance might mean meeting deadlines at work while still making time for hobbies and family, as well as maintaining sleep hygiene and a nutritious diet as was once suggested by Hong et al. This may help achieve improved personal well-being with better work hours.
Socially, perhaps the government can help? The Shops and Establishments Act regulates working hours, opening and closing times. However, these seem to translate only to timings of office premises. Perhaps revisions are in order that not only accommodate role requirements but also enforce sustainable work hours for employees?
To achieve a stronger, more sustainable workforce of Indian Globals, it is essential to deep-dive into this issue starting with re-draw the lines that got blurred during the pandemic in our globalized, digitally connected and perennially awake world.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.