Numerous studies have concluded that Indians are most hardworking as the debate grips social media after Narayana Murty’s statement on India’s youth to work 70-hour a week
Our Bureau
New Delhi
The debate is on after Infosys co-founder Narayana Murty observed that India’s work productivity lags behind much of the world and India’s youth should be ready to embrace a 70-hour workweek, a strategy employed by post-World War II Germany and Japan to drive their economies forward.
However, many studies have been conducted which concluded that Indians are the most hardworking people around the world. A study was conducted by Kronos Incoporated, an international Human Resource Management company which revealed this finding, followed by Mexico (43%), followed by the US (27 %). On the other hand, the UK (16%), France (17%) and Australia (19%) are considered least satisfied with a 5-day working week.
A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) revealed that Indians are among the most overworked workers globally while earning the lowest minimum statutory wage in the Asia-Pacific region, barring Bangladesh.
As far as working for more than 40 hours every week is concerned, the US topped the list with a staggering 49% of the participants working hard over time. They were followed by India (44%), Mexico (40%) and Germany (38%).
Murty’s comments stirred quite a stir on social media and corporate circles, with reactions coming in from many leaders and celebrities.
Suniel Shetty, the popular Bollywood, took to LinkedIn and wrote, “The way I see things, when a man, the size of Mr Narayana Murthy, says something, you listen carefully, analyze for yourself & take the best out of it. Even though this is a contentious issue, it’s important to stop & think about what he really meant. For me, it really isn’t about the number of hours. It isn’t about 70 or 100-hour weeks. The way I read his thoughts is simple – It’s about going beyond your comfort zone.”
Harsh Goenka, RPG Enterprises Chairman shared his views on the working hours of an employee. “The 5-day office week is dead! People are working nearly 33% of their office time remotely, and it’s a game-changer. Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8% raise. What we value most is skipping the daily commute and the sense of flexibility!” wrote Goenka in a tweet.
Sudha Murty, Narayana Murty’s wife, Infosys foundation chairperson and a popular author, said that the Infosys founder himself has worked for 80-90 hours a week and that he believes in real ‘hard work.’
