First, the question of work hours.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that Indians are among the most overworked in the world. , which is what the ILO considers to be more than what anyone should work.
We have the dubious distinction of being number two in the world’s overworked population ranking—only Bhutan ranks above us.
Second, on being underpaid.
The latest survey by the jobs portal Foundit found that 47 percent of Indian professionals are unhappy with their salaries and pay hikes.
Third, job satisfaction.
A study done by says one in three professionals in India are dissatisfied with their work.
That’s a very high number if you want your team to be productive in this super-competitive world. ADP’s study for 2025 reveals an even more dismal picture. Only 19 percent, or 1 in 5, professionals feel engaged with their work. And this is a sharp decline from last year when the employee engagement rate in India was 24 percent.
What is even more worrying is that India is the only large economy where employee engagement has fallen. Everywhere else, ADP found a higher level of engagement among employees.
Why is that?
As compared to India’s 51 percent, only 12 percent of the workforce in the US works more than 49 hours a week. In the UK, that number is just 9 percent.
Now, you are probably thinking, “What is 49 hours? I work 60 hours a week.”
In fact, the ILO’s numbers are likely to be a big understatement when it comes to white-collar workers in India as it is an average of all kinds of employees, including blue-collar workers, who are governed by stricter labour laws. White-collar professionals, like you and me, have no such protection.
What is worse is that all of us have internalised this.
If we have a presentation to do, we’re not supposed to be working on it while we are in office. We are expected to do that burning the midnight oil at home. And this is not only in the corporate space; it is true even if your white-collar job is teaching in a school.
Teachers, say, are expected to prepare for their classes at home. It’s not counted as part of their work. School teachers are expected to prepare their lectures, check homework, and grade exam papers at home. They not only put in the work hours in school but have to put in another three to four hours of teaching-related work at home, just to keep up with their tasks.
So, overwork has become a norm across the board for white-collar employees in India. And it is not as if you are left to work at peace. Here’s some more data:
A survey by Indeed, a global hiring firm, found that 88 percent of Indian professionals are regularly interrupted by their bosses after work hours
85 percent reported that they are expected to work on their off days, when they are on vacation, and even when they are on medical leave.
79 percent of employees said they fear retribution if they don’t work on their weekly offs. They feel ignoring work-related communication will affect their professional reputation—they will be passed over when it is time for promotions, they won’t get good raises, or they might just be sacked.
