Work pressure at office ? A brief estimate of average working hours in some leading countries

 

Working day and night with one's head buried in tasks often makes it hard to notice how many hours have actually passed. Recently, the death of a 26-year-old woman, unable to bear the “work pressure” of a multinational corporation, has sparked a nationwide debate. Following the death of Anna Sebastian, a 26-year-old chartered accountant from Kerala, accusations against various companies, both domestic and international, have started surfacing.

Complaints regarding workplace conditions and working hours have been pouring into the media and social platforms. Employees of various multinational corporations are voicing their grievances about excessive work pressure.

Some are calling for the implementation of strict laws to regulate working hours in corporate settings, while others demand harsh penalties. The death of Anna has also caught the attention of the government, with the Central Ministry of Labor ordering an investigation.

Several employees claim that their companies have been continuously increasing the workload, leading to extended working hours. In fact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recently released a report outlining the average working hours across different countries.

According to 2024 statistics from the ILO, Indian employees work an average of 46.7 hours per week. For those working six days a week, this translates to approximately 7.78 hours a day, while a five-day workweek requires 9.3 hours daily.

Compared to employees in England, the U.S., and China, Indian workers spend significantly more time at work. Similar trends are seen in neighboring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, where employees work more than 46 hours per week.

On the other hand, the shortest working hours are in Kiribati, where people work only 27 hours a week.

In China, employees work an average of 46.1 hours per week, while in the UK and the U.S., workers are expected to work 35 and 38 hours a week, respectively.

One of India’s smaller neighbors, Bhutan, tops the list for the longest working hours, with employees spending over 54 hours a week at their workplaces. The UAE follows closely, with workers spending 50 hours per week in the office.

In Mexico, workers clock an average of 43.7 hours per week, which breaks down to 7.2 hours per day for six-day workweeks, or 8.7 hours for five-day workweeks. Algeria follows a similar pattern with 43.7 hours per week.

Turkey’s workers average 43.9 hours weekly, which equates to 7.3 hours a day for six-day workweeks or 8.7 hours for five-day workweeks.

In light of Anna’s tragic demise, many have voiced concerns that millions of employees in private companies across the country are burdened with excessive workloads. While entry times into the office are fixed, exit times often aren't.

The "eight-hour duty," it seems, remains only on paper, as many employees report that it is rarely implemented in practice. The increasing pressure in workplaces, big and small, is not only affecting professional lives but is also taking a toll on personal and family life.