Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has renewed his earlier call for longer work weeks — this time by citing the example of China. The 79-year-old billionaire quoted the 9-9-6 rule followed by some Chinese companies.
What is the 9-9-6 rule?
The 9-9-6 rule refers to a work culture commonly associated with some Chinese tech companies, particularly in the past decade. It describes a schedule where employees are expected to work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
Employees following this rule effectively work 72 hours a week. However, the practice was widely criticised for being highly demanding and stressful, potentially affecting health and work-life balance.
In 2021, the Chinese Supreme Court outlawed the 9-9-6 working hour system. However, it is not clear how widely the ban has been enforced.
What Narayana Murthy said on the 9-9-6 rule
Despite the backlash that the 9-9-6 culture has received, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy quoted it as a positive example during an interview with Republic TV.
Murthy had sparked a national debate in 2023 when he said that Indians must work 70 hours a week for nation building. This time, he justified his stance by quoting the example of China.
{{/usCountry}}Murthy had sparked a national debate in 2023 when he said that Indians must work 70 hours a week for nation building. This time, he justified his stance by quoting the example of China.
{{/usCountry}}“There is a saying in China, 9, 9, 6. You know what it means? 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week. And that is a 72-hour week,” he said on Republic TV, adding that young people in India should follow the same hours.
The billionaire added that one should first "get a life and then worry about work-life balance".
(Also read: Narayana Murthy defends 70-hour workweek idea' Indians have a lot to do')
How social media reacted
Much of the feedback to Murthy’s remarks was negative. Criticisms ranged from lack of overtime pay in India, benefits of working overtime not being passed down from top management to junior employees, the health risks associated with longer working hours, stagnating pay, the pitfalls of centering life around work and more.
“There’s a saying in Europe, 10, 5, 5. You know what it means - 10 am to 5 pm, 5 days a week. They go for walks, trekking, meet friends, and “enjoy” life,” wrote X user Akash Tiwari.
“So will you pay on an hourly basis? No. You want employees to work 24x7 so that you can transfer shares worth ₹250 crore to your 9 month old grandson and you pay that employee 3.6 lakhs per annum,” said another person.
“Before asking people to work 72 hours, fix the jobs, salaries and basic work conditions first,” a user wrote.