India leads in unpaid work; 24% spend 16+ hours per week working for free

One in four Indian workers spends 16 or more hours a week on unpaid work, the highest share among the markets covered in ADP's People at Work 2026 report

India has recorded the highest share of workers reporting 16 or more unpaid working hours a week, according to ADP Research’s 'People at Work 2026' report.

 

The survey was conducted in 2025 and covered more than 39,000 adult workers across 36 markets. It found that 24 per cent of Indian workers put in 16 or more unpaid hours every week. Another 40 per cent work between six and 15 unpaid hours weekly. This means nearly two-thirds of workers in India surveyed by ADP reported spending at least six hours a week working without pay.

 

Globally, the picture is less extreme. About 62 per cent of workers reported up to five unpaid hours a week, while 26 per cent put in six to 15 hours and 12 per cent worked 16 hours or more. ADP defines unpaid work as time spent working beyond paid hours, such as working through lunch breaks or staying late.

  

India stands out among major markets

 

India’s 24 per cent share of workers putting in 16 or more unpaid hours was the highest among all markets covered by the survey. Turkey followed with 23 per cent, while Austria recorded 21 per cent and the US 20 per cent.

 

At the other end, only 4 per cent of workers in the Czech Republic reported working 16 or more unpaid hours a week. China and Taiwan recorded 6 per cent each, while Japan stood at 6 per cent.

 

India also had one of the highest shares of workers in the six-to-15-hour category, at 40 per cent. Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates also recorded 40 per cent.

 

Managers put in more unpaid hours

 

The report found that job level was the biggest factor linked to unpaid work. Workers higher up the organisational hierarchy were more likely to report working beyond paid hours.

 

Half of upper managers and senior leaders said they put in at least six unpaid hours a week, while 20 per cent reported working 16 hours or more without pay. Among individual contributors, 26 per cent reported at least six unpaid hours and only 9 per cent reported 16 or more.

 

Work location also mattered. Remote workers were the most likely to report large blocks of unpaid work: 13 per cent said they worked 16 or more unpaid hours a week, compared with 12 per cent each among hybrid and office-based workers.

 

More unpaid work can mean more stress

 

ADP said working longer unpaid hours does not necessarily make employees more productive. As unpaid hours increased, the share of workers saying they were not as productive as they could be also rose, particularly among senior managers and C-suite executives.

 

Workers putting in more unpaid hours were also more likely to report stress and less likely to be “thriving” at work. At the same time, those working 16 or more unpaid hours were more likely to be fully engaged and say they found meaning in their jobs.

 

However, heavy unpaid work was also linked to a greater likelihood of looking for another job. ADP said this pattern was particularly visible among executives and upper managers, suggesting that high engagement does not necessarily protect workers from stress or thoughts of leaving.