So, people have had a lot to say about Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s comments on the need for people to work 70-hour workweek. Some found it ridiculous and exploitative, while others seem to have found the necessity of this discipline in order to make businesses successful. In September 2024, the news that dominated the headlines was the unfortunate passing of a female in her 20s working for EY, for which work stress was cited.
It’s interesting that the debate rages on, especially when some parts of the world are looking at a 4-day workweek or when there are clock-watchers waiting for 5 pm or 6 pm to strike, so that they can head home. In France, there’s said to be a policy called the “right to disconnect”, which aims to curb after-hours communication.
But, maybe, is this a reality being lived by women professionals in India, especially in fields, like IT, communication and media? According to the ILO (International Labour Organization), it seems like Indian women in these industries work about 57 hours per week. That comes to about 9.5 hours a day, assuming they get Sunday off. It seems like even women in scientific and technical fields work about 54 hours a week. So, is this, somewhat, emblematic of work culture that might prioritize longer hours and output over well-being?
As a comparison, it seems like the global norm is 40 hours. In Australia, women who work in sectors, like IT and communication, work about 38 hours a week, those in Japan work about 42 hours a week and those in Brazil work approximately 44 hours.
And yet, according to the ILO, women comprise about 8.5% of the workforce in scientific and technical roles & 20% in information and communication jobs. And if there’s this kind of disparity and some form of implicit biases, it may make women have to constantly prove their worth and work longer hours in order to battle stereotypes that put down their competence or commitment. That crushing weight of overwork could be paralytic, erode physical health and take a toll on mental health, as well. And could these longer hours create higher attrition rates? Would that stymie India’s progress towards gender parity or would it prove that women are just as indispensable as men in the workplace?
Scandinavian countries are often cited as having women make up about 40% of the workforce in similar fields. Plus, it’s said that India ranks 130th out of 145 countries for women’s representation in tech fields.
And unlike the corporate world, maybe entrepreneurship doesn’t offer that kind of structured workweek, so delineating boundaries is not as clear, especially if one wants their fledgling venture to grow and scale as much as possible. And even then, a female founder might still encounter questions about whether they would be able to “balance commitments” or whether marriage would get in the way of entrepreneurship.
According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes about 10,000 hours of intense practice to become an expert in a complex skill or matter. So, could a higher number of hours of work per day mean a quicker route to becoming an expert? Are all the hours spent daily productive and make people better or is it monotonous work that could be automated?
Where do women fit in the relentless grind route of 2025?
