India’s workforce leads the global race for long working hours

India has established itself as one of the top countries with overworked employees, according to recent data from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

As per the data, the average Indian worker spends 46.7 hours a week at their job.

It positions the country among the global leaders for the longest working hours.

This trend highlights the significant work-life imbalance in the nation.

A remarkable 51% of India’s workforce works over 49 hours each week, securing India the second-highest position globally for extended working hours.

Bhutan ranks first, with 61% of its employees crossing the 49-hour mark. South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan follow closely, with 47% and 40% of their labour forces, respectively, working more than 49 hours per week.

This showcases a regional pattern of long workdays, emphasizing how prevalent this issue is across the subcontinent.

India’s position is particularly striking when compared to nations like the UAE and Lesotho, where workers average 50.9 and 50.4 weekly hours, respectively.

Despite these figures, a significant portion of India’s labour force working beyond 49 hours stands out.

In contrast, nations like the Netherlands and Norway show a healthier balance between work and life.

With average weekly work hours of 31.6 in the Netherlands and 33.7 in Norway, these countries prioritize shorter hours and better work-life harmony.

The global variation in working hours is even more pronounced when considering countries like Vanuatu, where the average workweek is only 24.7 hours.

Here, just 4% of employees exceed 49 hours a week, presenting a stark contrast to the working conditions in India and other South Asian countries.

Similarly, nations like Kiribati (27.3 hours) and the Federated States of Micronesia (30.4 hours) reflect a relaxed work culture with few individuals working excessively long hours.

Developed nations such as Germany (34.2 hours), Japan (36.6 hours), and Singapore (42.6 hours) also show fewer occurrences of extreme working hours.

This suggests that well-implemented labour regulations and policies can balance productivity and employee well-being.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on September 15, 2018

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1449447