Latest news with #KarnatakaShops
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
'Genpact's your soulmate now': Social media reacts as IT major allegedly ups working hours to 10
Genpact faces employee opposition after increasing daily work hours to ten. Employees express concerns about work-life balance and productivity monitoring. The new policy, scheduled for mid-June, creates tension at the Hyderabad offices. Employees fear increased work pressure and rising attrition. HR experts suggest a post-pandemic shift in corporate strategy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How people reacted? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Genpact's recent decision to increase daily work hours to ten has sparked criticism from both employees and HR experts, who argue that the move goes against progressive workplace practices. Employees have taken to social media to voice their concerns, citing fears over increased productivity monitoring and a negative impact on work-life change, communicated internally around 20 days ago, is set to be implemented by mid-June. According to The Hindi, the announcement has created unease among staff, particularly at the company's Hyderabad offices, where tensions are reportedly high.A number of employees have taken to social media to slam the the new system, the employees explained, 'productivity' will be monitored through an internal portal that tracks daily active hours.'If I clock the allotted time, I earn 500 points per month, which is worth ₹3,000. We have been told that 5% of it, which is ₹150 in my case, will be paid for the additional time. It hardly feels like an incentive.'"Wow @Genpact really said, "Forget a life outside work!" With 70% of employees earning under 10Lakh/year, they've now blessed you with a 10-hour workday. Add Bangalore's 3-4 hour traffic jam, and poof—14 hours of your day gone! Marriage? Kids? Nah, Genpact's your soulmate now," said a user on employee also noted that the 10-hour policy isn't even official, but is passed through managers and agents, reported ETHR.'This is absolutely pathetic and the company increased working hours to 10, without increasing salary,' wrote one Reddit user.'Not just that, you have to complete 'WAM' that basically is an abusive tool which logs keystrokes. You have to maintain 9 hrs of those out of 10 now, or you get warning mails. 3-4 of such emails and they deduct your bonus and kill appraisals (sic),' the user Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has allegedly moved to extend daily working hours in certain sectors, including IT, from 10 hours to 12 hours, a move met with resistance from several trade per Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, the working hours per day cannot exceed nine hours and the maximum hours of overtime cannot exceed 10 hours. The Act also puts an upper limit of 50 hours on overtime (OT) work for three months. Through the proposed changes, the government seeks to extend the maximum working hours to 10 hours a day and the maximum overtime to 12 hours a day. It also seeks to increase the overtime limit from 50 to 144 hours in three months, according to a Deccan Herald report.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Govt proposes extending labourers' workday
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has put forward a contentious proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, aiming to increase the standard workday for employees from nine to ten hours, with overtime potentially extending to twelve hours daily. The draft amendment, currently under stakeholder review, has ignited a fierce debate between industry leaders and labour unions over its implications for workers' rights and economic productivity. The Labour Department convened a stakeholder meeting at Vikasa Soudha, chaired by Secretary Rohini Sindhuri, to gather input from factory owners, hoteliers, and union representatives. According to sources, the proposed changes would also raise the quarterly overtime cap from 50 hours to 144 hours and include provisions for Saturday and Sunday holidays. Industry stakeholders have largely endorsed the proposal, arguing it will boost productivity and streamline operations. However, labour unions have vehemently opposed the changes, labelling them as anti-worker and detrimental to employee well-being. Critics warn that extended hours could exacerbate mental and physical health issues, disrupt work-life balance, and potentially reduce job opportunities by encouraging a two-shift system over the current three-shift model. The amendment remains in the consultation phase and requires approval from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to take effect. As discussions continue, the government faces the challenge of balancing economic ambitions with the need to protect workers' rights, with further stakeholder meetings planned to refine the proposal.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
IT employees raise red flag, Karnataka's labour department says no change in weekly hours
Bengaluru: Even as the Karnataka labour department insists that proposed amendments to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act-1961 will not breach the 48-hour weekly cap, the state's tech workforce remains unconvinced. The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU), which led a protest in Bengaluru, argued that the proposed amendments would institutionalise excessive workloads. The department, however, claims the changes are intended to provide "flexibility" to employers and employees, allowing them to complete their weekly quota over fewer days. At the centre of the controversy is the department's plan to increase daily working hours from 9 to 10, and the maximum permissible overtime from 50 to 144 hours per quarter. This could allow for up to 12-hour workdays, including overtime. Citing long-standing concerns over unpaid overtime and chronic overwork, many fear the draft amendments will legalise exploitative practices that have become rampant in the IT and ITeS sector. "Even if you cap the week at 48 hours, that still averages to about 9.6 hours over five days. Add the legalised overtime — about 2.5 hours per day — and we're back to 12-hour shifts. And overtime compensation? It doesn't exist in practice," an IT employee said. Employees told TOI that existing loopholes enable companies to demand long hours without paying for them. The fear now is that the amendments will provide a legal cover for what is currently an unspoken but widely followed practice. KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga, who attended a recent stakeholders' meeting organised by the department, pointed out lack of transparency. "We asked for data on how many employees are working overtime and what they're paid. The minister admitted that not a single company responded. There's no data. No accountability," he said. KITU's official stance is that the move will exacerbate health risks, erode work-life balance, and push employees further into burnout. Chitra Banu, KITU member, was unequivocal in her stance. "It won't get implemented; we won't let it happen." Not everyone in the industry opposes the move. Adithya M, who works at a Bengaluru-based startup, said: "I've been working 10–12 hour days anyway. My body and mind are used to it. This isn't a big deal for startup folks." According to union leaders, this is precisely the problem — the new norms are merely catching up with exploitative realities instead of challenging them. "Now that 144 hours of overtime per quarter is legal, we're just putting a rubber stamp on what's been happening illegally," KITU secretary Sooraj Nidiyanga said. The labour department maintains that the changes are aligned with International Labour Organisation (ILO) norms and are part of broader efforts to modernise labour law. But the discontent from the ground tells another story — one of disconnect between legislative intent and lived experience. For now, the IT sector's fears remain unresolved, with trust in short supply and clarity even shorter.
India Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Proposal for 12-hour tech firm workdays faces strong opposition in Karnataka
The Karnataka government's proposal to raise work hours for private firms to 12 hours daily faces strong opposition from employees, including the Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS) workers' association.A meeting was held by the state's Labour Department on Wednesday with industry and trade union leaders regarding a proposed 12-hour workday amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) strongly opposed the proposal, calling it "modern-day slavery." KITU leaders Suhas Adiga and Lenil Babu, who attended the meeting, asked all workers to come together against the change, warning it could badly affect work-life balance and job security. The KITU highlighted that current laws allow a maximum of 10 working hours per day, including overtime. They said the proposed change would legalise 12-hour shifts and a two-shift system, which could cause the loss of one-third of existing union accused the government of putting corporate profits ahead of worker welfare and ignoring basic employee rights. 'The government is attempting to normalise inhuman conditions. This amendment is not about productivity — it's about pleasing corporate bosses by turning human beings into machines,' said Adiga, KITU the 'State Emotional Wellbeing Report 2024', KITU also raised concerns about rising mental health issues, noting that 90 per cent of corporate employees under the age of 25 suffer from unions are determined to fight the proposal and safeguard workers' rights across the last year, IT firms in Karnataka had reportedly proposed extending employee work hours to 14 hours a day, including overtime, through an amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. The move faced strong opposition from employees, who called it inhuman and raised concerns about health and this month, the Andhra Pradesh government amended the labour laws in the state to increase the maximum working hours for private sector employees from nine to hours – in what it said was with the aim of boosting investment and by Sneha A Suneeth
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Karnataka Govt Proposes 12-Hour Workdays, Faces Strong Opposition From IT Employee Union
Last Updated: The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate 12-hour working day has been presented in a labour department meeting on June 18. The Karnataka government has proposed to increase daily working hours from nine to 10 hours in the state, and to allow up to 12 hours of work a day, by amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. However, the Karnataka State IT/ ITes Employees Union (KITU) on Wednesday opposed the proposal and called upon 'the entire working class to come in resistance". The proposal, if approved, would also raise the quarterly overtime limit from 50 to 144 hours, according to The Hindu. The development comes days after the Andhra Pradesh government earlier this month made a similar proposal to increase work hours per day from nine to 10 hours. The proposal also faced massive opposition. KITU calls upon the entire working class to come in resistance against the Karnataka Government move to increase the working hours in IT/ITES/BPO sector to 12 hours a day #12hrWorkDay — Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (@kitu_hq) June 18, 2025 The draft amendments, circulated by Karnataka's labour department to stakeholders, reportedly were aimed at aligning state regulations with directions from the Union government. It had asked all states to consider increasing working hour limits. The labour department defended these proposals saying that the Union government has already 'directed" states to amend working hours limits. The department also said similar decision has been taken by Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand also, according to Deccan Herald. Bengaluru, the country's biggest IT hub falls in Karnataka. So, the Karnataka State IT/ ITeS Employees Union on Wednesday strongly opposed the proposal and called upon 'the entire working class to come in resistance against the Karnataka government move to increase the working hours in IT/ITES/BPO sector to 12 hours a day." In a statement, the KITU said, 'The proposed amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act attempts to normalise a 12-hour work day. The existing Act only allows a maximum of 10 hours work per day, including overtime." It said the amendment will allow the companies to go for a two-shift system instead of the currently existing three shift system, and one third of the workforce will be through out from their employment. The KITU said, 'The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act to facilitate 12-hour working day is presented in a meeting called by the labour department on June 18, with various stakeholders in the industry." The labour secretary and other officials from the Department of Labour attended the meeting, it said. 'KITU representatives strongly raised our opposition to the proposed amendment, which poses an attack on the basic right of any worker to have a personal life," the state IT employees' body said. The Working Hour Debate: Economic Survey, N R Narayana Murthy, L&T Chief Importantly, the pre-Budget Economic Survey 2025 cited studies to state that spending over 60 hours a week on work could have adverse health effects. The survey noted that spending long hours at one's desk is detrimental to mental well-being, and individuals who spend 12 or more hours (per day) at a desk have distressed or struggling levels of mental well-being. The debate on working hours has been going on the for the past few months after Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's suggestion of a 70-hour workweek. Larsen & Toubro Ltd Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan also sparked off a raging debate on social media when he said employees should work 90-hour a week, including on Sundays rather than sit at home. However, Subrahmanyan drew criticism from some peers in the business community. RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka said longer working hours was a recipe for burnout and not success. Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra also asserted that the focus should be on the quality of work and productivity rather than the amount of time spent working. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 18, 2025, 16:04 IST News business » economy Karnataka Govt Proposes 12-Hour Workdays, Faces Strong Opposition From IT Employee Union
