The government informed Parliament on Monday that there is no proposal under consideration to increase the maximum working hours to 70 or 90 hours a week.
The clarification comes amid recent suggestions from corporate leaders advocating an extension of work hours to 70 and even 90 hours per week.
"No such proposal to increase the maximum working hours to 70 or 90 hours a week is under consideration of the government," stated Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
She told the House that since labour falls under the Concurrent List, the enforcement of labour laws is carried out by both state and central governments within their respective jurisdictions.
In the Central sphere, enforcement is managed by inspecting officers from the Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM), while in the states, compliance is ensured through their respective labour enforcement agencies, she added.
As per the existing labour laws, working conditions, including working hours and overtime, are regulated through the provisions of the Factories Act 1948 and the Shops and Establishments Acts of the respective state governments.
Most of the establishments, including the corporate sector, are governed by the Shops and Establishments Act.
About the discourse over 70-90-hour work week, pre-Budget Economic Survey on Friday last had cited studies to state that spending over 60 hours a week on work could have adverse health effects.
"While the hours spent at work are informally considered a measure of productivity, a previous study has documented adverse health effects when hours exceed 55-60 per week," the survey said, citing findings by Pega F Nafradi B (2021) and 'A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury'.
The Economic Survey 2024-25’s stance on work hours came weeks after Larsen & Toubro Ltd Chairman and Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan triggered a heated debate on social media by suggesting that employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays, instead of staying at home.
His remarks followed Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s call for a 70-hour workweek and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani’s controversial comment that spending more than eight hours at home could lead to one’s "wife running away."