'Listen to your body': Ex-WHO scientist Swaminathan on long workweeks

While intense work for short periods is possible, as seen during Covid-19, it is not sustainable in the long run, former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan said

People should listen to their bodies and recognise when they need rest as prolonged overwork can lead to burnout and reduced efficiency, former WHO chief scientist and health ministry advisor Soumya Swaminathan has said.

While intense work for short periods is possible, as seen during Covid-19, it is not sustainable in the long run, she told PTI in an interview.

Swaminathan stressed that productivity depends more on work quality than hours spent.

Asked about the impact of long working hours on human health, the former director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told PTI: "I know a lot of people who work very hard. So, I think it is an individual thing and your body tells you when you are tired, so then you also have to listen to your body. You can really work hard, let's say for a few months. During Covid, we all did that, right? But could we have continued that for years together? I am not sure."  "For those two-three years, we did it. We did not sleep much. We were stressed most of the time, worrying about things, especially the healthcare providers. They were working round-the-clock. There was some burnout. Many people left the profession also after that. But it can be done for short sprints, (but) it is not really sustainable," Swaminathan said.

The renowned global health expert emphasised that mental well-being and rest are crucial for sustained performance.

"The human body has some needs for sleep, and mentally also, I feel that you need a break if you are going to be productive and if your thinking process has to be equal," she said.

Swaminathan said it is not just about the number of hours worked but the quality of work done in that time.

"You can sit at your table for 12 hours, but maybe after eight hours, you are not doing that good quality work. So I think all those things also have to be looked at," she said.

Earlier this year, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan sparked a debate by saying employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays, instead of staying at home.

His comments echoed Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy's call for a 70-hour workweek.

This month, former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said Indians need to work hard to achieve the goal of making India a $30 trillion economy by 2047.

"I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it is 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a $4 trillion to a $30 trillion economy, you cannot do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars," Kant said at Business Standard's Manthan summit.

Last month, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje told Parliament that the government is not considering any proposal to increase the maximum working hours to 70 or 90 hours a week.