India's 4-Day Workweek: Health Risks Emerge

India's introduction of new labour codes in November 2025 allows employers to implement longer workdays, such as a four-day week with 10-12 hour shifts. While offering potential flexibility, this shift carries significant health implications. Extended working hours can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm, leading to issues with hormone secretion, metabolism, and increased risks of glucose dysregulation. This disruption is already recognized by the World Health Organization as a probable health risk.

The compressed work schedule can also lead to prolonged sitting and improper meal timings, negatively impacting metabolic health and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Stress associated with longer hours can indirectly affect thyroid and adrenal functions, contributing to fatigue and reduced stress capacity.

Moreover, increased work hours may lead to decision fatigue and reduced productivity. For reproductive health, particularly in women aged late 20s to 40s, sleep deprivation and circadian disruption can alter hormonal balance, potentially exacerbating conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. Fertility in both men and women can be adversely affected by stress and irregular habits.

To mitigate these risks, measures like restricting long hours, ensuring mandatory rest periods, and offering workplace support such as hybrid models and mental health services are essential. The success of India's compressed workweek experiment hinges on its biological and psychological feasibility, ensuring that employee flexibility does not compromise overall health.