33, How many hours of work is reasonable work
There is a lot of discussion around what constitutes reasonable working hours. Instead of debating what is right or wrong, it is more useful to look at this question from an organisational standpoint and understand what is permitted and what actually delivers productivity.
Working Hours from an Organisational Perspective
From an organisational point of view, the expectation is to deliver outcomes for clients and customers within defined timelines and using a fixed set of resources. Just like machines require maintenance to perform optimally, human resources also need rest and recovery to sustain productivity over time.
Research and long‑standing labour practices have shown that eight to nine hours of work per day were not arbitrarily chosen. These norms evolved through studies, movements, and verified data which demonstrated that this duration allows individuals to perform effectively without long‑term fatigue or burnout.
What Is Allowed Versus What Is Ideal
Rather than arguing about whether people should work longer hours, the more relevant discussion is around what is legally allowed. In India, individuals are allowed to work a defined number of hours per day and per week, with overtime permitted only up to specified limits.
As HR practitioners, the recommendation is to stay within these limits. If employees are working within standard hours—typically eight hours per day or forty‑eight hours per week—organisations can still achieve high productivity without extending workdays.
Productivity Is Not About Time Spent
If organisations are struggling to deliver results, the issue usually lies in productivity rather than the number of hours worked. Productivity is not measured by presence alone, but by what is actually delivered during working hours.
Studies show that in an average workday of eight and a half hours, which includes breaks, employees typically have around five hours and forty‑five minutes of effective productive time. This accounts for unavoidable breaks, informal interactions, system inefficiencies, and interruptions.
Improving Output Without Increasing Hours
The solution is not to increase working hours from eight to twelve, but to improve how those effective hours are utilised. Organisations should focus on improving efficiency so that the same amount of time results in higher output.
If employees can deliver more within the same effective hours, organisations benefit without adding fatigue, disengagement, or compliance risks. Working longer hours does not automatically translate into better results.
The Legal Reality Today
Unless governments formally change working‑hour norms, the current framework allows up to nine hours per day including breaks, with a mandatory weekly off. Out of this, approximately eight hours are considered active working time, and anything beyond that must be compensated as overtime.
Whether organisations strictly enforce this or stretch boundaries is a separate discussion. From a compliance and sustainability standpoint, these norms represent what is considered reasonable work today in India.
Related Podcast Episode
This article is based on the transcript of the original podcast of the same name featured in India HR Guide.
The transcript has been translated into this article with the support of AI and a human‑in‑the‑loop process.
