Will Karnataka opt 14 hours workday,70 a week plan for techies?

The Karnataka government is considering a proposal to extend working hours for tech employees to 14 hours per day and 70 hours per week.According to reports, the proposed bill seeks to adjust existing laws to allow IT, IT-enabled services (ITES), and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors to extend work hours beyond the current limit of 10 hours per day, including overtime. The new provision would permit up to 14 hours of work per day and 70 hours per week, with a cap of 125 hours over a three-month period.
Union leaders have vehemently opposed the move, arguing that it would lead to a normalization of grueling work schedules and further strain the already stressed workforce. They highlight that the IT sector is already plagued by physical and mental health issues, with studies showing a significant percentage of employees suffering from depression and other health problems. The World Health Organization and International Labour Organization have linked extended work hours to increased risks of stroke and heart disease.According to the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union(KITU, the proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate a 14-hour working day was presented in a meeting called by the labour department with various stakeholders in the industry.
"The proposed new bill 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024' attempts to normalize a 14-hour work day. The existing act only allows a maximum of 10 hours of work per day including overtime, which has been completely lifted in the current amendment. It will facilitate the IT/ITES companies to extend the daily hours of work indefinitely," the Union said in a statement.“As per the report of KCCI, 45% of employees in the IT sector are facing mental health issues such as depression, and 55% facing physical health impacts. Increasing working hours will further aggravate this situation. WHO-ILO study says increased working hours will lead to an estimated 35% higher risk of death by stroke and 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease,” the KITU said.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad has stated that the proposal is still under discussion and has not yet been finalized. 

(Stae Correspondent)