The controversy surrounding the 70-hour workweek, which was first triggered by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, was rekindled by Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho Corporation.
According to Vembu, the justification for the 70-hour workweek is that it is essential for economic growth.
Zoho Cofounder Supports 70-Hour Work Week?
He gave East Asian examples, including China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, all of which advanced via intense labor, frequently at punishing levels. Vembu pointed out that because of these nations’ extremely low birth rates, their governments are pushing for more people to have children.
Vembu asked two questions:
- Does economic development require this kind of labor?
- Do many people think that such a development is worth the cost of an isolated old age?
Vembu responded to the first question by saying that it is adequate if only a small portion of the population (between 2 and 5%) drives themselves hard. He made it clear that this group must “drive themselves” as opposed to being forced by others, and he was one of them.
Vembu thinks that while most people can manage a respectable work-life balance, a small percentage of people working hard is sufficient for widespread economic development.
Vembu responded to the second query by saying that the ensuing demographic decline is not worth the extreme effort. He stated that India shouldn’t try to emulate China’s economic achievements if doing so would result in a sharp decline in its population, which China is already going through.
Vembu noted that the fertility rate in southern states of India is already below replacement level, and that it would be harmful if it continued to drop to East Asian levels.
India can develop without running the risk of “demographic suicide” through excessive work hours, he said in closing.
Narayan Murthy’s Opinion on 70-Hour Work Week
When Narayana Murthy first proposed a 70-hour workweek, it generated a lot of discussion and both praise and criticism. While some business owners emphasized the need for proper compensation, others backed the notion of greater productivity.
In an interview, Murthy made the case that in order for India’s labor force to compete with countries such as China and Japan, productivity must increase. India has some of the lowest work productivity in the world, according to Murthy, who also underlined that progress depends on increased productivity.
In order to increase the competitiveness of the country, Murthy encouraged young people in India to adopt a 70-hour workweek.
