There has been much talk about working hours recently, with Infosys founder Narayana Murthy recommending a 70-hour work week to aid India’s development. “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity… we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress. So, therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘This is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week’,” he said.
Weeks after he courted controversy over these remarks, he said, “People in those infrastructure industries must work three shifts.” He noted: “In other nations that have high aspirations people work two shifts. I would return around midnight (when abroad), and I have seen people working as if they are going to disappear tomorrow morning. I cannot vouch for three shifts, but I can definitely vouch for two shifts.”
However, there is a glaring divide between the East and the West with longer working hours seen in Eastern countries, and the opposite witnessed in the latter.Reports suggest an increasing number of people in Japan looking for greener pastures in Europe and Australia to escape what is seen as a rigid work culture. In October, the country’s health ministry released its white paper on Japan’s long working hours and its links to depression and karoshi, which means death from overwork.
A staggering 2,968 people in Japan died by suicide, which can be linked to karoshi. Not far away is China and its notorious 996 work culture, meaning working from 9 am to 9 pm for six days a week. While such gruelling working hours were initially glorified, especially in the tech field, people have started retaliating over the past few years. For instance, in 2020, “Good morning, Labourer” became a famous greeting among the country’s tech workers. Then came tang ping, or lying flat, which described taking a break from gruelling work. China saw a trend of people giving up their entrepreneurial ambitions for stable government job. As Singapore remains an attractive work destination, it is also the most fatigued country due to overwork, says a study by UK manufacturing firm Sleepseeker.
While the US’ 36.4 hours work per week is shorter than many, a survey by the Randstad Workmonitor showed that 43% of the US workers felt compelled to be available to their bosses beyond the working hours. This is different from the work culture prevalent in Europe, whose work-life balance remains attracting people from across the world. This involves several vacation days, detaching oneself from work at five, leaving little scope to be consumed by work. In fact, the loudest calls for a four-day week are seen from this region, with multiple countries such as Germany, UK, Spain, Iceland, and Sweden, having announced or conducted a trial.
Last year, the Belgian government introduced a new reform allowing workers to choose to work for four days a week. Despite having fewer working hours than several other countries, countries in Europe, such as Germany, UK, France, Spain, and Switzerland, remain among the most attractive countries for workers globally. “At Versuni, formerly known as Philips Domestic Appliances, we understand the dynamics of diverse cultures. We adapt certain aspects to resonate with the prevalent work culture in the country where our offices are based, ensuring a harmonious blend of our values with local practices,” said Gulbahar Taurani, CEO & MD, Versuni India Home Solutions.