Narayana Murthy and 70-hour workweek: Infosys starts campaign for 'work-life' balance; here's why

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's controversial view that youngsters should work 70 hours a week is still widely discussed in the corporate world. Many point out how promoting a workaholic culture is more damaging than beneficial, as it affects employees' physical and mental health. (Murthy later said that what he cited was his personal choice).
However, reports say that Infosys has initiated an internal campaign encouraging employees to adhere to their regular working timing of 9 hours and 15 minutes.

Interestingly, if employees overshoot this timing, they receive personalised emails from HR, asking them to maintain a work-life balance, take care of their health and well-being. The HR department even urges them to take regular breaks, alert managers if they need support, delegate tasks, redistribute responsibilities, and minimise work-related interactions outside of work hours! 

Why the new campaign?
As per reports, the initiative is a result of many employees becoming vulnerable to health risks like heart diseases, as long work hours result in damaging lifestyle choices and stress. Last year, a 26-year-old Malayali EY employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, died a few months after joining the company, and her family blamed work stress for the same. The incident also resulted in many quoting Narayana Murthy again, stating that it's such toxic expectations that result in stress-related deaths and diseases. 

According to 'Mental Health America,' a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health, here are a few practical steps to make the best out of the working hours and tips to unplug after work. 
1) Make sure your daily goals are manageable
2) Avoid procrastination, as it can stress you
3) Tune in to music if it can help foster concentration, and take breaks whenever possible.
4) Communicate effectively with your colleagues and supervisor. 
5) Unplug from work after work hours. There is no greatness in overworking or overcommitment. Shed the 'super employee' urge. 
6) Eat right, exercise and get adequate rest. 
'Narayana Murthy' has more than 20K searches in the past 13 hours on Google Trends.