Karnataka Mulls Over 14-Hour Workdays For IT Sector Amid Already Long Hours

IT companies in Bengaluru are urging the state government to extend the maximum daily working hours for employees to 14 hours. The state is considering amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act of 1961 to accommodate this request, according to Business Today.

This move reflects a controversial suggestion made a year ago by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who proposed that young professionals work up to 70 hours a week, sparking significant debate at the time.

Now, IT firms are formally requesting that the proposed legal changes include the option for employees to work up to 14 hours a day, comprising 12 hours of regular work and an additional 2 hours of overtime. Currently, labor regulations allow up to 12 hours of work per day, including 10 hours of regular work and 2 hours of overtime. The new proposal would enable IT and BPO companies to extend daily working hours beyond 12, up to a total of 125 hours within a three-month span.

Shurthi, an employee at a multinational company, told OneIndia, "This won't change much as we are already working up to 14 hours."

Some users expressed concerns that existing employees might be replaced by those willing to work 14 hours a day.

The Siddaramaiah-led state government has initiated discussions on the proposal and will make further decisions soon, the report said. However, the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) opposes the plan, warning that extending working hours could lead companies to switch from a three-shift system to a two-shift system, potentially resulting in job losses for about one-third of the workforce.