12-hour workdays for Karnataka techies? What would burnout look like then?

The Karnataka government's proposal to amend existing labour laws and extend working hours in the IT, ITeS, and BPO sectors to 12 hours a day has triggered widespread criticism for potentially creating a workforce that is exhausted, anxious and emotionally depleted.

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Many young professionals are already surviving under a high-pressure environment that romanticises overwork and glorifies burnout as a badge of honour. The proposal to institutionalise 12-hour workdays is not just unrealistic, it is a public health issue.

In therapy rooms, I see their fatigue. Not just physical tiredness, but the emotional heaviness of constantly being measured, compared and never feeling “enough.” A 2024 report found that 90 per cent of Gen Z corporate workers feel anxious every week. This manifests in many of my sessions as panic attacks, disassociation, substance dependence and insomnia.