Breaking the Chains of Modern Work Culture

A few months back, the founder of Infosys issued a statement that people have to work harder and longer hours. His argument was that progressive nations were built on hard-working people. Last week, the same sentiment was echoed by a senior leader in L&T (a giant in the construction sector).  He wanted to increase the working hours to 90.

This encapsulates a truth many leaders are reluctant to confront. Do we work to live, or do we live to work? It’s a question that cuts to the heart of modern life. Consider this: a 60-hour workweek amounts to 12 hours a day, five days a week. Factor in three hours of commuting, and you’re left with nine hours for sleep, meals, and any semblance of a personal life. Even this scenario is generous for many.

The reality? The compensation rarely justifies the sacrifice. Leadership and business owners line their pockets with bonuses while the workforce is left with crumbs. For most, work is a grind, not a joy, and it leads to stress, ill health, and burnout. Companies, indifferent to the toll, replace burnt-out employees without a second thought. The culture of "live now, spend now" traps workers in a cycle of earning just to survive—a survival that hardly feels like living. This is a modern form of slavery.

Employees are coerced into relentless hours because they need the job, and employers exploit that dependency. Offering "competitive" salaries while demanding workers pledge their lives is no better than handing out free drugs to ensure addiction. It’s a vicious cycle. We know productivity diminishes when people are pushed too hard. Yet, companies keep squeezing their so-called "assets." Employees are hailed as invaluable, but in practice, they’re used up and discarded, all while HR spins a façade of a “happy, engaged workforce.”

Engagement surveys boast figures in the 80s and 90s. If that were true, attrition rates wouldn’t be sky-high. We all know the truth: it’s a conveyor belt of disillusionment. Workers move from job to job, chaining themselves to ever-heavier burdens.

So, what can be done? The change must start with regulation. Governments should enforce a 48-hour workweek and impose severe penalties on violators. If employers demand exemptions, contracts must guarantee fair compensation for the extra hours. Financial literacy must be taught early in schools, encouraging young people to plan for independence. The culture of “buy now, pay later” must be challenged. We must resist the urge to live beyond our means, as fear of losing one’s home or lifestyle keeps employees tethered to exploitative jobs.

Stronger collective representation—unions or movements—is essential. Until these changes take root, greed will prevail, and the cycle of modern servitude will persist. Leaders must decide: will they nurture true productivity and well-being, or will they continue down this unsustainable path? The choice is clear, but the will to act must follow.

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