The recent move by Genpact to extend working hours to a 10-hour workday without increasing base salaries has reignited a deep and increasingly polarized debate in India’s corporate sector around work-life balance versus productivity expectations. The policy, implemented quietly in mid-June and communicated informally through team leads rather than formal HR channels, has drawn intense backlash from employees, HR experts, and netizens alike.
At the heart of the issue is the lack of transparency, coupled with what employees see as exploitative compensation mechanics. While the internal productivity tracking portal offers up to Rs 3,000 in incentives monthly for those meeting activity benchmarks, the actual value—especially the paltry Rs 150 bonus for additional time—has been called out as negligible. For many, this feels more like surveillance and pressure than recognition.
The Hyderabad office, in particular, has emerged as a focal point of discontent, with employees describing the atmosphere as tense and demoralised. The fact that no official documentation supports the policy has only worsened trust. Employees fear retaliation or even termination if they push back, a reflection of an unhealthy workplace culture that prioritises control over collaboration.
On social media, particularly LinkedIn, discontent is boiling over. Current and former employees have warned that mandatory 10-hour logins risk causing burnout, lower productivity, disengagement, and a stifling of creativity—issues that HR professionals globally warn against when pushing for longer work hours without addressing wellbeing.
This situation is not in isolation. Genpact’s controversial step follows a wave of high-profile comments from India’s business elite that lean heavily toward long work hours as a norm, rather than an exception.
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Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, last year, suggested Indians should work 70 hours a week, arguing that those who benefit from India’s economic rise owe it to the nation’s poorer sections. His rejection of work-life balance, though widely criticised as tone-deaf, represents a mindset still prevalent in some legacy corporate circles.
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L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan added fuel to the fire earlier this year when he jokingly asked what people do sitting at home on Sundays and urged them to “get to the office.” Though offhand, the comment was taken seriously and triggered massive public discourse about corporate insensitivity toward personal life.
Together, these voices highlight a deeper issue in India’s white-collar sector: a disconnect between leadership mindsets shaped in an earlier era and a younger, more self-aware workforce that values mental health, personal time, and flexibility.
In light of the Genpact controversy, it’s likely that:
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Employee activism—particularly on platforms like LinkedIn and X—will grow louder.
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Labour law experts may begin to scrutinise such informal mandates more closely.
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Genpact’s HR and legal departments may be forced to issue a formal response or revise the policy.
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Other companies will either distance themselves from similar moves or quietly observe the backlash before implementing comparable practices.
Ultimately, while the goal of boosting productivity is understandable, doing so without meaningful dialogue, equitable rewards, and respect for employee wellbeing may prove counterproductive in the long run—especially in an era where talent retention and company culture are as important as profit margins.
