50% of employees in India work at least 49 hours per week, shows data

The recent death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant (CA) at Ernst & Young, has brought attention to work-related stress among the youth

Half of employees in India still work at least 49 hours per week, despite the share declining by around 13 percentage points over the past five years. Even in 2023, the proportion of those working beyond statutory provisions exceeded that of many peer nations, not to mention the developed world.

Indian labour laws prescribe a 48-hour workweek for employees. Data from the International Labour Organization shows that the share of those working 49 hours or more has decreased from 63.4 per cent in 2018 to 50.5 per cent in 2023.

Despite this decline, the proportion of those