Alarming work trend! Salaried corporate employees work longer hours than their casual peers: Survey

A recent government survey has highlighted a concerning trend in workplace dynamics, revealing that salaried employees, particularly in corporate sectors, are working substantially more hours each week compared to their casual and self-employed peers.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July 2023 to June 2024 indicates that regular wage earners put in an average of 48.2 hours of work per week. In contrast, casual labourers and those who are self-employed manage just under 40 hours on average.

This disparity, far from being a mere statistic, underscores the intense corporate culture faced by salaried employees, characterised by stringent deadlines, high-performance expectations, and an incessant push for productivity. 

For a typical corporate worker, the lengthy hours translate to about nine hours of work per day over a five-day work week, or roughly eight hours if their work week extends to six days.

Although some human resource experts contend that these time commitments are not inherently excessive, others emphasize that the overall work environment significantly contributes to employee stress levels.

The relentless pace and heightened pressure within modern workplaces are pushing many employees toward burnout. Meanwhile, casual workers and the self-employed, who may work fewer hours, grapple with different forms of stress, such as income instability and irregular schedules.

While the self-employed enjoy flexibility in setting their hours, this often comes with the unpredictability of market demand and a lack of a steady paycheck.

The urgency surrounding the dialogue on work hours and employee health has intensified following the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old employee of Ernst & Young in Pune, which has been linked to extreme work-related stress.

This incident has ignited a nationwide debate about the impact of lengthy work hours and high-pressure environments on employee well-being, prompting a government investigation into workplace culture and health impacts.