'16 Hours A Day': Infuriated Hyderabad Techie Complains Of Long Working Hours, MNC Sacks Employee For Raising Issue

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Distressed Multinational Corporation (MNC) employee working in Hyderabad was laid off days after he complained of long working hours. With companies increasingly exploiting its employees, there seems to be no effective redressal mechanism to enforce labour laws. Employees are at mercy of big giants with their jobs in jeopardy if they raise issue over malpractices in the organised sector.

This issue has repeatedly surfaced but this time a former MNC employee took the legal course against violation of labour laws. Infuriated and exhausted after devoting 14 years to a US-based firm, which made him intermittently work nearly 16 hours a day, the former employee sought compensation for the extra hours worked. He approached the Telangana labour department to file the complaint.

The complainant, Sridhar Merugu, said "It is impossible to physically or mentally work for so many hours. Also, when companies charge clients by the hour, why shouldn't employees be paid accordingly?" Times of India reported.

Before seeking assistance from labour department over the matter, Sridhar Merugu, who approached the National Human Rights Commission. The IT professional had no option except to flag the "illegal practice" as the tech giant sacked him after dismissing his request for overtime wages.

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Narrating the prolonged workplace exploitation he faced, the former MNC employee claimed that the US-based company pushed him to work even on his sick days and denied him allowances that come with late-night (8 pm to 4 am) and early-morning (4 am to 8 pm) shifts.

Pointing to violation of labour laws coupled with no overtime pay, he said,“For about 3 to 4 months, I was forced to work continuously for more than 16 hours a day due to a shortage of resources.”

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Asserting that his termination in September 2025 was linked to his refusal to work under“unlawful conditions,” the 45-told the publication:“Instead of addressing my grievances, they laid me off within a week of me raising the issue.” The Hyderabad techie is lobbying against the firm over pending overtime dues, statutory interest and penalties.

Work-life balance is missing!

At a time when work-life balance is gaining currency and India's youth is prioritizing quality time over burnout, this complaint assumes significance. Last year, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy sparked a debate over working hours after he recommended 72-hour work week. With increasing awareness, the youth is setting boundaries, embracing rest and disconnecting from work to protect mental and physical health.

Sharing a similar sentiment, an IT employee, Santosh Kumar, with nearly 3 decades of experience said,“Working even on weekends and holidays without pay became very common, especially post the pandemic. Be it management, team leaders or employees, everyone knows this but chooses to turn a blind eye.”

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According to him, companies pressurise employees to work overtime citing resource shortages or budgetary constraints. If the employees fail to comply, they threaten them with termination. Bleating that overtime work has become a norm nowadays, he said,“Many are working for over 18 hours a day. The work culture has deteriorated, and there is no job security.”

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