3 weeks ago
French fine on Infosys highlights India-Europe gap on working hours
Infosys is a very big computer company from India that works in many countries, including France.
France has a rule that companies must know exactly how many hours their workers work.
This is because France believes workers need enough time to rest and spend time with their families.
In late July, France fined Infosys because its system for tracking working hours was not good enough.
The fine was 175,000 euros, which is a lot of money for most people but very small for a big company like Infosys.
In India, some people, like Infosys's founder, believe workers should work very long hours, even 70 hours a week.
They think long working hours will make India stronger, but doctors and scientists say working too much can make people sick, stressed and very tired.
One big study found that millions of people work more than 55 hours a week, and many deaths may be linked to working so much.
Different countries have different rules - France limits work to 35 hours a week, while the United States has no limit at all.
France's DRIEETS Île-de-France fined Infosys €175,000 (a little under Rs 2 crore) for a working-hours recording system it deemed unreliable, though not fraudulent, for certain employee categories.
Infosys disclosed the fine to the Bombay Stock Exchange in late July, calling the sum immaterial to its finances.
French law requires employers to prove accurate tracking of working time under the 35-hour statutory week, overtime ceilings and mandatory rest.
Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy has urged Indian professionals to work 70-72 hour weeks, invoking China's '9-9-6' schedule, which China's Supreme Court declared illegal in 2021.
A 2021 WHO/ILO study estimated 488 million people worked 55+ hours weekly in 2016, attributing about 745,000 deaths that year to that exposure, while a 2024 Kerala study found 82.2% of 282 bank employees showed moderate to high burnout.
- Who
- Infosys and its employees in France, French labour authority DRIEETS Île-de-France, and Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy.
- What
- France fined Infosys for a working-hours recording system that was not reliable, auditable or properly monitored for certain staff, spotlighting contrasting India-Europe views on long working hours.
- Where
- Île-de-France, France; the wider debate concerns workplaces in India.
- When
- The fine was disclosed to the Bombay Stock Exchange in late July.
- Why
- France polices whether employers can prove actual working hours to protect the 35-hour week and rest entitlements, while India debates whether long hours should be legally protected or celebrated as a virtue.
Work-life balance advocates
Proponents of long working hours
The 70-hour work week
Work-life balance advocates
Workers and psychologists call the 70-hour week a flawed concept that leads to burnout; a 2024 Kerala study found 82.2% of bank employees had moderate to high burnout and global studies link long hours to heart disease and stroke.
Proponents of long working hours
Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy argues Indian professionals should work 70-72 hours a week, invoking China's '9-9-6' culture, saying India's low productivity prevents it from competing with countries that have made tremendous progress.
Hours as a measure of value
Work-life balance advocates
HR and organisational experts say hours and productivity have a weak relationship, with diminishing returns beyond a point, and that visible availability creates 'performative busyness' rather than meaningful results.
Proponents of long working hours
A widespread corporate culture in India treats hours worked as a proxy for value created, where staying late signals commitment and leaving on time reads as a lack of dedication.
Legal regulation of working time
Work-life balance advocates
France, Germany and the UK impose strict obligations to monitor actual working time with reliable records, treating working hours and rest as legal protections.
Proponents of long working hours
India keeps timekeeping requirements relatively flexible, and statutory limits often do not translate into workplace practice, with enforcement focused more on factories than white-collar sectors.
Key facts
- Fine amount
- €175,000 (a little under Rs 2 crore)
- Regulator
- DRIEETS Île-de-France
- Company fined
- Infosys
- France's statutory workweek
- 35 hours
- India's statutory limits
- 9 hours per day; 48 hours per week (Factories Act, 1948 / OSH Code, 2020)
- WHO/ILO 2016 estimate
- 488 million people worked 55+ hours per week
- WHO/ILO attributed deaths
- About 745,000 in a single year
- Kerala burnout study
- 82.2% of 282 bank employees showed moderate to high burnout
Quotes
Nikita Raj Raikwar
Freelance content marketing manager
“"Clear boundaries create a level playing field, and when employees know they won’t be judged by how late they stay..."”
indianexpress.com
“"I think the Murthy 70-hour work week is a flawed concept and one that can lead to insane burnout. Trust me, I know."”
indianexpress.com
Dr Balasubramanian Sethuraman
HR professional
“"Hours and productivity have a surprisingly weak relationship."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
IMF Study Finds India Works Long Hours Despite Growth
Worker’s Unpaid Overtime Sparks Debate After 15-Minute Delay
Indian in US Shares Five Workplace Habits Professionals Can Learn
Jimmy Shergill calls out 18-hour shifts for Bollywood crew
Maharashtra FDA Chief Says Labs May Run 24x7, Defends Shifts
West Bengal’s Youth Employability Crisis Threatens Its Demographic Advantage
AI Data Annotation Boom Creates Low-Paying Jobs in India
India’s Minimum Wage Trails China, US and Japan on PPP
Why India Must Prioritize Rejuvenation of Its Small Rivers
India’s Gig Economy Growth Leaves Women Behind, Study Finds
