Fri Jan 31 11:18:32 UTC 2025: ## Long Work Hours Detrimental to Health and Economy, Warns Economic Survey

**New Delhi, [Date]** – India’s pre-Budget Economic Survey has cautioned against excessively long working hours, citing studies linking 60+ hour workweeks to adverse health effects and decreased productivity. The survey, released Friday, comes amidst a heated public debate sparked by recent comments from prominent business leaders advocating for 70-90 hour workweeks.

The survey highlights research indicating that spending 12 or more hours daily at a desk significantly lowers mental well-being scores. Studies cited by the survey, including work by Pega F. and Nafradi B. (2021) and the WHO/ILO, show adverse health consequences from exceeding 55-60 hours of work per week. The Sapien Labs Centre for Human Brain and Mind’s data further supports this, showing a correlation between long desk hours and decreased mental well-being.

The survey acknowledges that while long hours are sometimes seen as a productivity metric, this is a flawed assumption. It points out that factors like poor managerial relationships and lack of purpose at work significantly impact absenteeism. Even in workplaces with positive managerial relations, approximately 5 days per month are lost due to other factors influencing productivity and well-being.

Globally, the economic cost of depression and anxiety is staggering, with the WHO estimating a loss of 12 billion workdays annually, translating to a USD 1 trillion financial loss (approximately Rs 7,000 per day in India).

The survey’s findings directly contradict recent statements by business leaders like L&T’s S.N. Subrahmanyan who advocated for 90-hour workweeks. This position has been met with criticism from other business leaders, including Harsh Goenka (RPG Group), Anand Mahindra (Mahindra Group), and Sanjiv Puri (ITC Ltd), who emphasized the importance of work-life balance and quality of work over sheer hours spent.

The survey concludes that addressing lifestyle choices, fostering positive work cultures, and reducing excessive desk time are crucial for India’s economic growth. Failure to do so, it warns, could negatively impact mental well-being and ultimately hinder economic progress, echoing similar concerns surrounding China’s “996 culture.”

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