Infosys Flags Overworking Employees, Counters Murthy’s 70-Hour Week Advice

Infosys Warns Overworking Staff, Opposes Murthy’s 70-Hour Workweek Push

India’s second-largest IT giant, Infosys, has rolled out an automated system to monitor employee work hours—sending warning emails to those exceeding the daily threshold of 9 hours and 15 minutes. This initiative runs contrary to Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy’s recent push for a 70-hour workweek to drive national productivity.

According to an Infosys employee cited by The Economic Times, “We are expected to work 9.15 hours daily, five days a week. If we go beyond this, especially during remote work, an alert is triggered.” The company’s Human Resources team now tracks total remote work hours monthly and dispatches detailed notifications to those exceeding the limit.

Infosys Aims to Prevent Employee Burnout

The move comes as part of Infosys’s evolving hybrid work policy, covering over 3.2 lakh employees globally. The system identifies excessive working hours and sends alerts containing total hours worked, remote workdays, and average daily time logged. Since November 2023, employees are also required to attend office at least 10 days per month.

A communication from the HR team reads:

“While we appreciate your dedication, we believe maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial to your well-being and long-term success.”

Employee Health and Work-Life Balance Take Priority

Infosys’s policy shift reflects growing concerns in India’s tech sector around rising health issues—especially cardiac-related problems among young professionals due to long hours, poor diets, and lack of rest. The company advises employees to:

• Take regular breaks
• Speak to managers if feeling overwhelmed
• Reassess workload and priorities as needed

A Shift in Indian IT Culture

This measured approach marks a clear shift from Murthy’s call for extended working hours. With increasing focus on employee wellness, mental health, and sustainable productivity, companies like Infosys are setting a new precedent in the Indian IT industry.

As corporate culture evolves, employee health is becoming just as important as output—a trend likely to reshape India’s future workforce policies.