Logged On, Zoned Out: Infosys Sends a Wake-Up Call to the Overworked

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Infosys, India's second-largest IT services company, issued a warning about a increasing trend among its telecommuting staff—longer working hours. In a string of company-wide messages, the company has asked the staff to take their health seriously and, while working from home, also ensure a sustainable work-life balance.

Wellness Alert

Infosys is monitoring home working hours and began sending personalized emails to employees whose daily average working hours exceed the common 9.15 hours.

The messages emphasize that while hard work is appreciated, excessive hard work leads to long-term illness and productivity levels being lower.

Policy in Action

The decision follows Infosys introducing its office-centric hybrid model that requires employees to spend a minimum of 10 days per month at the office.

HR departments are beginning to track off-site work hours and detecting locations where employees consistently exceed healthy boundaries.

Health at Stake

The move comes in the midst of increasing concern over young tech employees endangering heart conditions and burnout due to irregular work schedules and physical inactivity.

Infosys communication encourages regular breaks, free communication with the manager, and an earnest effort to log off once office hours are completed.

Cultural Change

While Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has previously advocated for longer working hours to boost national productivity, the most recent action by the company signals a deeper care for employee well-being in the post-pandemic era.

The company's 3.23 lakh employees are being reminded that physical and mental well-being is the foundation of sustainable performance.

Sources: Economic Times, ET Now, LiveMint, MSN News, India Today