The Work Hours Of 15 Of The Top Tech Companies In 2023: Is 70 Hours A Week The New Normal?

A recent exchange between Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on a YouTube show divided netizens and drew a sharp backlash from workers across India after Narayana Murthy mentioned that today’s youth must work 70 hours a week to help India compete with developed countries. such as China.

Soon after the show, it quickly went viral as people pointed out that Indian IT companies have become nothing more than sweatshops where workers are expected to work 70 hours a week but the salary is kept the same. Many pointed out that the starting salary package at Infosys is still Rs 3.5 crore per annum and has not changed much in decades despite inflation, the pandemic and the general increase in the cost of living.

On the other hand, many emphasized that working 70 hours a week burdens every employee physically and mentally, and the person does not have personal time to improve his family and himself. Since most IT companies in India follow the 5-day-a-week rule, this means that employees may have to be in the office for 14 hours a day. Considering the commuting time, everyone would easily spend around 16 hours a day at work, leaving barely 5-6 hours for sleep.

Narayana Murthy argued that Indian labor productivity is among the lowest in the world, and unless Indians improve productivity, reduce ministry corruption and delays in bureaucratic decision-making, India may not be able to compete and utilize the potential of its youth. in full.

Murthy, 77, said on the show: “So that’s why I’m asking our young people to say, ‘This is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week.’

Now when it comes to the question – is working 70 hours a week the only way to be at the top? Forbes has released the “World’s Best Employers” report and among the top 15 tech companies, none of them require 70 hours of work.

According to the Forbes World’s Best Employers report, the 15 best technology companies in 2023 have set an official maximum working hour of 45 hours per week for employees. Based on reddit posts, in some crucial situations in few jobs with higher pressures, the maximum hours workers worked in a 5-day week was usually around 52.

Here is the list of the 15 best tech companies of 2023 according to Forbes.

1. Samsung Electronics: Official working hours are 45 hours per week.
2. Microsoft: The minimum requirement is about 40 hours per week.
3. Alphabet: 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.
4. Apple: 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Some employees may work less than 8 hours a day, while few may have to work around 10 hours depending on the role.
5. IBM: 8 hours a day.
6. Adobe: 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
7. Cisco Systems: According to the statement, “Work hours must not exceed the maximum set by local law. Additionally, the workweek should not exceed 60 hours per week, including overtime, except in emergencies or unusual situations, and all overtime must be voluntary. Employees may not work more than 6 consecutive hours days without at least one rest day.”
8. Dell Technologies: 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
9. PayPal: 8 hours per day. However, some workers reported that it usually works around 9 hours a day.
10. Sony: 9 hours a day and 45 hours a week.
11. Intel: 40 hours per week is the minimum expectation.
12. Siemens: Anywhere from 40-50 hours per week as needed.
13. Amazon: A fixed minimum of 40 hours per week is required.
14. Netflix: 8 hours or less and no 9-5 schedule.
15. Oracle: 8 hours or less, minimum 20 hours per week.