The Maharashtra government’s recent proposal to extend private sector workday from nine to ten hours comes soon after an earlier notification allowing shops and establishments to operate 24×7 failed to take effect. We believe that increasing work hours without addressing India’s commuting crisis is a recipe for burnout rather than productivity.

A long commute drains workers before the day even begins. A 2024 survey of Indian office-goers found that employees now spend 59 minutes to travel 20 km one way to work; compared with 51 minutes pre pandemic. Workers spent 8 % of their time—almost two hours—just commuting.

Another study on commuting stress shows that the mental effort during a morning commute increases burnout and reduces........

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