Burnout by design: Karnataka’s controversial 12-hour workday plan

Critics warn of legalising overwork

The Karnataka government’s proposal to amend the Factories Act raising daily work hours from nine to 12, has sparked fresh debate over the future of work in India. While officials say the move aligns with industry practices and improves ease of doing business, critics warn it could formalise exploitative work cultures under the guise of flexibility, pushing already overworked employees closer to burnout.

When 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil died due to cardiac arrest in July 2024, just four months after joining an EY affiliate in Pune, her mother’s open letter to the company’s chairman sent shockwaves across India’s professional landscape. She described how her daughter had been experiencing chest pain, insomnia, and deep anxiety after being overwhelmed by long hours and relentless pressure. Anna’s story became a grim reminder of how unchecked work culture in white-collar India can exact a devastating toll, both emotionally and physically.

Nearly a year later, the Karnataka government’s proposed amendment to the Factories Act, which would allow companies to extend the daily work limit to 12 hours, has re-ignited that conversation. With formal opposition rising from employee unions and widespread concerns about normalising overwork, the proposal is being seen not as a progressive reform but as a policy that risks entrenching exploitation under the garb of flexibility.

Karnataka mulling to revise working hours

According to the state government, the decision to revise working hour norms is rooted in directions from the Union government, which has encouraged all states to align labour regulations with evolving business needs. Karnataka argues that the proposed changes are intended to reflect existing industry practices, especially in smaller and mid-sized enterprises, where long hours are already common but poorly regulated.

Additionally, officials also cite the need to improve the ease of doing business by simplifying compliance procedures such as record-keeping and certification. As part of the amendment, the cap on daily working hours would be raised from nine to 10 hours, with overtime extending the total permissible limit to 12 hours per day. The overtime ceiling itself is being raised significantly, from 50 hours to 144 hours over a three-month period. While the weekly cap remains at 48 hours, critics fear that the relaxation in daily limits and overtime thresholds could pave the way for normalised overwork under a legal framework.

Workers sound alarm

Among those most affected would be the IT and ITeS workforce in Bengaluru, where project cycles often stretch employee capacity even without formal overtime provisions. For professionals like Nilay Sanghvi, a software developer in the city, the proposal threatens to institutionalise burnout.

“Stretching the workday to 12 hours, even with the promise of overtime, blurs the balance further and puts employee well-being on the backburner. Long hours are already romanticised in our industry, but that shouldn’t become the law of the land,” Sanghvi tells Media India Group.

He raises particular concerns about enforcement, noting that smaller firms may not have the HR infrastructure to ensure consent, rest periods or fair compensation.

“While larger companies may still have systems in place, the reality is that enforcement in smaller or mid-size firms is weak. This opens the door to misuse,” adds Sanghvi.

A pattern of tragedy

Perayil’s case is hardly the only one. Just months later, in early 2025, a 28-year-old HDFC Bank employee in Lucknow reportedly collapsed and died at her desk. Her family alleged that extreme work pressure prevented her from even seeking timely medical care. In another instance that gained traction online, a woman was reportedly fired by her boss for refusing to work overtime. “She left the office crying,” her colleague posted on social media, shedding light on the informal yet coercive expectations plaguing India’s modern workplaces.

For many, Karnataka’s bill risks providing legal cover to these informal pressures, codifying practices that should be curtailed, not encouraged.

Longer working hours boosting productivity

Akhtar Mallik, head of Programmes at the Delhi-based think tank BRIEF, believes that one reason behind the government’s push to revise the norms is its perception that private companies are already making employees work longer hours.

“One possibility is that the government believes private companies are already making employees work longer hours, so it makes sense to hold them accountable and ensure they pay for a 12-hour day. But if thatis the case, it is problematic, because if the government could not stop companies from stretching 8-hour shifts to 12, what is to stop them from extending 12-hour shifts to 14 under the new policy?,” Mallik tells Media India Group.

Mallik argues that while extending hours might yield short-term results, the long-term impact on worker performance, health, and morale can be deeply negative.

“Fatigue and anxiety inevitably lead to reduced productivity. We have seen this globally. Making longer hours the rule, rather than the exception, is a flawed policy path,” adds Akhtar.

The International Labour Organisation has long recommended a 40-hour workweek, with 48 hours as the upper limit. Numerous international studies have shown that productivity tends to plateau or even decline, after extended workdays become routine.

India’s diverging labour models

While Karnataka pushes for expanded workday ceilings, other Indian states are following suit. Andhra Pradesh recently passed a similar amendment allowing private firms to increase daily hours to 10. But globally, the trend seems to be in the opposite direction. Japan, which once battled a national crisis of karoshi or death by overwork, has now introduced a 4-day workweek aimed at increasing happiness and productivity. Countries like Iceland, Belgium, and New Zealand are also piloting or implementing shorter workweeks, reflecting a growing understanding that more hours do not necessarily mean more output.

“The world is moving toward smarter work, not just longer work. If India wants to retain its skilled workforce, it must start offering quality of life, not just jobs,” adds Sanghvi.