“How Long Can You Stare at Wife?” Rethinking Duty Hours and Mental Health at the Workplace

As more people of all genders join the workforce, various seen and unseen challenges are emerging in relation to the workplace, including mental health concerns. Mental health at the workplace is now increasingly coming into focus, acknowledged and substantiated by the fact that the theme for Mental Health Day 2024 was “It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.” ¹

In one of his recent addresses to his employees, the chairman of L&T made a controversial remark and said, “How long are you going to stare at your wife?”—in the context of increasing work hours to 90 hours per week. ² Similarly, a few months back, the Infosys Chairman also demanded a 70-hour workweek from his employees to increase productivity and development. ² Many companies working in the information technology (IT) sector have come out with similar demands, enforcing extended work-hour schedules on their employees. ³ This has predictably raised considerable controversy and growing concern about the physical and mental health of the employees at the workplace. Such demands directly contravene many of the factors essential for good mental health.

Discussion

Some important risk factors for mental health in the workplace, among many others, have been identified as (a) unhealthy work environment—harassment, unsafe working conditions, and unfair work practices; (b) unclear expectations; (c) imbalanced work–life balance, such as long hours and remote work without clear boundaries; and (d) conflicting work and home demands. ⁴

The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that all stakeholders must have policies to promote mental health in the workplace. ⁴ On the contrary, an interesting pilot study was conducted between 2015 and 2019 by Iceland. This was one of the world’s most extensive four-day workweek trials that involved around 2,500 public sector workers who shifted to 35–36 hours weeks with no reduction in pay. The results were significantly positive, with productivity staying the same or even improved, while employees reported better well-being, reduced stress, and a healthier work–life balance. ⁵ Following the positive outcome of the pilot study, nearly 90% of Iceland’s workforce now enjoys shorter hours and greater flexibility at work. ⁶ Other countries are also exploring four-day workweek, including Sweden, Japan, Germany, the UK, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, among others, with the Netherlands having the shortest workweek in the world with an average of 29 hours. ⁷

The International Labour Organization (ILO) fought and successfully won the demand for eight-hour workday and six-day workweek for laborers. ⁸ While working hours vary by country and worker class, the European Union (EU) has mandated a 40-hour workweek. ⁸ In contrast, working hours have steadily increased in Asian countries, including India. ⁹ In some sectors like banking and IT, most of the workforce is designated as “officers” to avoid the legal limits on hours. ¹⁰ The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), working from home, rather than easing working life, has often become more exploitative, hampering and worsening work–life balance with a lack of clear boundaries and unpredictable working hours. ¹¹

A meta-analysis by Wong et al. ¹² analyzed 243 studies from 1998 to 2018, and reported that (a) female workers experience more depression and anxiety compared to male counterparts working the same hours, and (b) people working more than 60 hours per week have higher rates of depression and anxiety than those working fewer hours. Apart from the diagnosis of depression and anxiety, long working hours are also associated with high-stress levels, disturbed sleep, and unhealthy maladaptive behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. These, in turn, lead to increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and stroke. ¹²

The IT sector of India, which is already under pressure due to changing work environments and artificial intelligence (AI), employed around 51 lakh individuals in the financial year 2021–2022. ¹³ It is characterized by long working hours to meet deadlines and accommodate global time zones and working hours. Studies found that 80% of IT professionals have stress-related problems, and 71% of them suffer from anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, sleep problems, and psychosomatic disorders. ¹⁴ The associated costs, in terms of divorce, addiction, and other noncommunicable diseases, are particularly high, and a mental health epidemic may be underway. ¹⁵

Conclusions

In this scenario, we need more worker-friendly policies, improved workplace environments, and healthier work–life balance. This can be achieved through collaboration between the government and the private sector rather than increasing work hours and killing the goose that lays the golden egg.