Flex and thrive

India's rigid labour laws, including outdated overtime rules and fixed working hours, need modernisation to enable flexibility, incentivise productivity, and align with evolving work cultures across diverse sectors

- RAAVI BIRBAL

Better productivity is a goal for any economy. India's current statutorily prescribed working hours are insufficient for many entities; therefore, the ground reality is that these regulations are often violated in practice. One middle-path solution could be that, in cases where productivity-linked incentives are paid, there may be an increase in work timings at the option of both employee and employer. This would incentivise employees to work longer hours and attract those inclined to work and remain productive. It may also create positive competition within organisations.

There is a need to modernise the outdated concept of overtime for certain entities, making it compatible with new-age benefits. The age-old 9-to-5 schedule is outdated for many establishments. As a middle path, permutations combinations could be incorporated into India's work laws, granting greater flexibility to employers and employees. Rather than imposing fixed or rigid working hours, employers who offer lucrative, genuine productivity-linked allowances could be permitted to extend work hours statutorily. This approach could apply to establishments and employees engaged in intellectually demanding work or receiving high-reward salary packages and incentives, but not to workers in factories, construction, or other sectors involving strenuous manual labour.