Late last year, billionaire Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, had triggered a controversy with his remarks that young professionals in India should adopt to a 70-hour workweek.

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy sparked a massive debate on work-life balance last year when argued that young professionals in India must work at least 70 hours a week to compete with the workforce in developed nations. However, less than a year later, Infosys is advising its employees against extra hours, and urging them to focus on their mental and physical well-building to develop a healthy work-life balance.

According to media reports, the IT giant has sent individual emails to employees, advising them against logging extended works hours while they are working from home. The Narayana Murthy-led firm has urged workers to strictly adhere to the company’s designated work hours while working remotely, the Economic Times reported.

What did the email advisory to employees say?

As per the report, in the email, Infosys has advised employees against logging extra hours during remote work, and urged them to prioritize a healthy work-life balance. “While we appreciate your commitment, we also believe that maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for both your well-being and long-term professional success,” the email read, according to the Economic Times.

“We understand that work demands and deadlines can sometimes lead to longer hours. However, it is important to maintain the balanced work-life schedule to enhance productivity and overall happiness. Take regular breaks during your workday; Let your manager know if you are feeling overwhelmed or need support with reviewing priorities. Speak to your manager about delegating tasks or redistributing some responsibilities as appropriate; Take time to recharge during off hours, minimising work- interactions whenever possible,” it added.

How extra work hours are tracked by Infosys HR?

According to details, the Infosys Human Resources team serves an email advisory, whenever it finds an employee logging extended work hours remotely. The email contains detailed information about the employee’s total work record for the past month, which includes total number of work from home (WFH) days, average daily work hours, and total work hours logged.

The emails urged employees found violating Infosys’ standard working hours policy, to prioritize mental and physical well-being to build a healthy work-life balance, which would prove beneficial for the employee as well as the company in the long run.

How many hours are Infosys employees required to work?

Infosys employees are mandated to work for 9.15 hours a day, five days a week, and a trigger is prompted if any worker, working remotely, overshoots these standards. the ET report said. “We must work for 9.15 hours a day for five days a week, and if we overshoot this while working remotely, it prompts a trigger,” the report quoted an Infosys employee as saying.

Why Infosys employees work overtime?

As per several Infosys employees, the practice of logging extended hours began after the company enforced a hybrid work model back in November 2023, which mandates its 325,500 workers to attend the office at least 10 days in a calendar month. However, Infosys’ HR teams have recently begun to track remote work hours, and sends individual emails to employees who log extra hours during remote work.

Infosys has not commented on the matter.

Late last year, billionaire Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, had triggered a controversy with his remarks that young professionals in India should adopt to a 70-hour workweek in order to raise productivity and compete at a global level.