Infosys Warns Remote Employees Over Long Work Hours, Flags Health Risks and Balance Issues

Infosys has issued direct emails to remote workers clocking excessive hours, urging caution and stressing the importance of health and balance in a hybrid setup. Here's what the internal mails said.

Infosys has begun issuing individual warnings to employees working extended hours remotely, highlighting concerns around health and sustainability. The messages, sent over email, encouraged employees to keep their working hours within limits and maintain a proper work-life balance.

Employees told media that the company tracks hours put in during remote work. If those hours exceed Infosys’ standard workweek of 9.15 hours a day over five days, then the HR system flags the data. Subsequently, employees receive emails detailing how many days they worked from home, the total hours clocked, and the daily average.

One such email reminded an employee that investing in health and personal well-being was in their long-term interest, both personally and professionally. Employees were advised to take regular breaks, report workload pressure to their managers, delegate where possible, and minimize work-related interactions during off hours.

This monitoring system reportedly began after the rollout of Infosys’ hybrid work model, which has required staff to return to office at least 10 days per month since November 2023. The move comes amid rising health concerns within the tech workforce, especially relating to cardiovascular issues in younger professionals.

Dr. CN Manjunath, a senior cardiologist and Member of Parliament, noted that stress was a silent but major contributor to heart diseases in the young, especially among those with no conventional risk factors. He described how unmeasured stress had a strong connection to overwork and career-related pressure.

Infosys, which employs over 3.2 lakh people, has not issued a public statement on the development. Internally, this is being seen as the first concrete step by the company in directly addressing the health impact of long working hours.

Employees have so far shared their feedback via annual surveys like Pulse, but this marks a shift to direct, targeted interventions. The broader discussion on workplace stress is also gaining traction in political circles. In April, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, while the Ministry of Labour and Employment reiterated that work timings are governed by state-level policies.

The shift to remote and hybrid working post-pandemic brought flexibility but also reduced boundaries between professional and personal life. Now, with workplace stress linked to serious health outcomes, Infosys is making those boundaries stronger again.