As the tragic and untimely death of 26-year-old Ernst & Young (EY) employee Anna Sebastian Perayil rumbles through the corporate world, it has ignited a crucial debate about toxic workplace cultures and the issue of overwork in corporate India.
The incident has not only shocked many but also served as a trigger for numerous conversations about the treatment of employees within the workplace. It highlights the urgent need to address concerns regarding mental health, employee well-being, and the normalisation of excessive working hours.
Social media has become a platform for thousands to express their condolences while sharing personal horror stories about the relentless pressures and demands often faced in their jobs.
In the latest, the central government has stepped in to probe the death of a young EY employee. The Labour Ministry has now taken up the official complaint.
As discussions continue to gain momentum, questions arise about the average working hours across various countries and their impact on employees' health and productivity.
Here is a list of countries around the world that have the longest working hours throughout the week, arranged in descending order based on the percentage of total working hours:
| COUNTRY | Average no. of working hours in a week | Avg number of working hours over 49 hours in a week |
| BHUTAN | 54.4 | 61 |
| UAE | 50.9 | 39 |
| CONGO | 48.6 | 45 |
| QATAR | 48 | 29 |
| MAURITANIA | 47.6 | 46 |
| LEBANON | 47.6 | 38 |
| JORDAN | 47 | 34 |
| INDIA | 46.7 | 51 |
| BANGLADESH | 46.9 | 4 |
| PAKISTAN | 46.9 | 40 |
| MACAU | 46 | 14 |
| CHINA | 46.1 | - |
(Data as per International Labour Organisation)