70 Hours Work Debate: 5-Day Office Week Is Dead, Hybrid Is The Future, Says Harsh Goenka – News18

As soon as Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, sparked a debate when he suggested that young people in India should work 70 hours a week to help the country develop, several business leaders and citizens have come out with their opinion.

Also Read: Narayana Murthy Doesn’t Know Working for Less Than 80 to 90 Hours A Week, Says Wife Sudha 

Murthy had said that India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world, and that unless it improves, the country will not be able to compete with other nations.

Murthy’s statement was met with mixed reactions. Some people supported his view, saying that it is necessary for India to work harder in order to catch up with developed countries. Others criticised his statement, saying that it is exploitative and unrealistic to expect people to work 70 hours a week.

Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises shared his opinion on the ongoing debate. He posted on the social media platform X, writing that hybrid work is the present and the future and 5-day office week is dead.

“The 5-day office week is dead! People are working nearly 33% of their office time remotely, and it’s a game-changer. Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8% raise. What we value most is skipping the daily commute and the sense of flexibility!” Goenka posted on X on October 30.

“Hybrid work is the present and the future. It’s all about blending office and remote work to suit your needs. It’s no longer about working 50 or 70 hours, but about your own ambition, your purpose, and your productivity,” he added.

“Embrace the shift, adapt to the new work landscape, and find your sweet spot between office and home. It’s time to prioritise what truly matters in your work life!” he said.

Many netizens commented on his post and some agreed with Goenka’s opinion.

Here’s how X users reacted on the post;

A user wrote, “There is no point in the conventional management principles and expecting everyone to be in the office 45 hours a week. We have seen it in the past, during Covid, and now the permanent shift (as you rightly called it), the productivity, throughput, and outcomes are indirectly proportional to slogging 45/60 hours in the office, it’s proportional to (as you rightly called it out) employee first, so is client first and cut the red carpet, bureaucracy, operational overheads as much as possible to make it a win-win situation…way to go.”

Another X user said, “If Elon Musk can moonlight across 5 companies and still be effective , regular employees should also be allowed to moonlight.”

Another post said “Productivity has gone to another level since remote working started. Companies should recognise this as a win-win method. Employees who are comfortable with hybrid working and producing good results should be given the space to continue that.”

Meanwhile, Tech Mahindra MD and CEO C P Gurnani said Murthy did not say work 70 hours for the company but he meant work 40 hours for the company but work 30 hours for yourself.

“I believe when he (Narayana Murthy) talks of work, it’s not limited to the company.. it extends to yourself and to your country.. He hasn’t said work 70 hours for the company – work 40 hours for the company but work 30 hours for yourself.. Invest the 10,000 hours that makes one a master in one’s subject.. burn the midnight oil and become an expert in your field,” Gurnani said in a post on X.

Gurnani also said 70 hours of work which can differentiate you as a youngster and in the process your country.

Moreover, it remains to be seen what the long-term impact of Murthy’s statement will be. However, it has certainly sparked an important conversation about work culture and productivity in India.