Infosys asks staff to maintain work-life balance, countering Narayana Murthy's 70-hour workweek pitch

Tech giant Infosys issued a new policy asking its employees to avoid long working hours while working from home. The IT firm has introduced a system that triggers a warning once the working time exceeds 09:15 hours, as reported by The Economic Times, quoting an employee on the condition of anonymity.

Infosys asks employees to maintain a work-life balance

Moreover, the company sent an email, mentioning that the average working hours over the past month have been over the standard hours, ET reported.

The email stressed the need to maintain a work-life balance to ensure the well-being of employees and effectiveness at work.

The company with around 323,500 employees asked staff to work from the office for at least 10 days per month in a previous policy.

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Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week pitch 

Though Narayana Murthy stood for a 70-hour work week argument, Infosys came up with the new rule after several reports showed young employees in India have become vulnerable to severe health risks, including cardiac arrest.

Murthy continuously urges young Indians to work hard for the country’s growth. He suggested the idea of a 70-hour work week in 2023 to boost the country’s economy and then mentioned it again later, saying he won’t change his view and will “take it to his grave”.

Incidentally, L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan advocated a 90-hour work week for employees. A video of the chairman went viral at the start of the year, where he was seen urging his staff to work without expecting leave.

"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?" the chairman asked. "Come on, get to the office and start working."

After Murthy gave his advice, the business world was divided in opinion. While experts like him, Subrahmanyan or founders of the new generation, such as Bhavish Aggarwal, supported long working hours, Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi, Shaadi.com's Anupam Mittal and Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Radhika Gupta disregarded the theory.

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