Employees hit back over long-hours corporate culture

For the average Indian, the working week is now longer than ever - totalling almost 47 hours.

- Hannah Ellis-Petersen

According to recent labour data, India now has one of the most overworked labour forces in the world, enduring longer hours than in China, Singapore and even Japan, a country renowned for its relentless work culture. On average, Indians work 13 hours longer every week than an employee in Germany.

Almost 90% of those working in India are employed in the informal sector, which is largely unregulated and exploitative. However, concerns have also begun to be raised about the working conditions of those in formal employment, particularly those in India's corporate sector where working practices have remained largely unchanged in decades and critics say pursuit of profit remains king.

In July, Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant at the India offices of corporate accounting giant Ernst & Young (EY), died four months after joining. In a letter written in the aftermath, her mother said the "overwhelming" high-pressure work environment had taken a heavy toll on Perayil and eventually led to her death.