Labor Laws: From loco pilots to doctors, these jobs in India require more than 9 hours of work..

Working hours are often debated in India. Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy recently made a statement that sparked considerable debate. He advised young people to work 70 hours a week. Similarly, S.N. Subrahmanyam, chairman of L&T, suggested employees work 90 hours a week (an average of 13 hours per day), and also advocated working on Sundays. There are many jobs in India where working hours are extremely long. Working long hours negatively impacts employees' health.

Both private and government jobs are also where employees are forced to work long hours. India ranked 42nd out of 60 countries in the 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index, suggesting that India's working culture is significantly worse than that of other countries.

Rahul Gandhi recently raised questions about the working conditions of loco pilots. They demanded that loco pilots be provided with adequate rest and facilities and not be overworked. Rahul Gandhi also met with loco pilots at the New Delhi Railway Station and listened to their problems. The pilots mentioned several issues to Rahul Gandhi, including inadequate rest, long working hours, and the burden of a lack of recruitment.

Employees in these sectors are also suffering from long working hours.

IT and Tech - IT professionals are working an average of more than 50 hours per week.

Resident Doctors - Doctors, especially resident doctors, work more than 70 hours per week on average. Many resident doctors are forced to work continuous 36-hour shifts. This issue even reached the Supreme Court.

Police Personnel: Police personnel work day and night to maintain law and order. Sometimes they are required to work for more than 12 hours.

Gig Workers: Many gig workers, also known as Delivery Partners, are required to work 12-14 hours per day, which is a clear violation of labor rights.

Pilots: Working as a pilot in India is also challenging. Many Indian airlines face a shortage of pilots, which often results in overwork for their employees.

What Indian Laws Refer to Working Hours
Indian labor laws clearly specify working hours. According to the law, the weekly work limit cannot exceed 48 hours. Overtime is provided for employees working 8-12 hours per day or more than 48 hours per week. Employees must have at least 12 hours of uninterrupted rest between shifts.

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