The story begins while I was setting up a few machines for automation in our organization. It was an important task that required focused attention, and I was deeply involved in making sure everything was functioning properly when I received a message from my Project Manager: "Quick call!"

Initially, I thought this would be a discussion about my performance and the feedback I had requested, but to my surprise, the first question he asked was, "Why are you logging 12 to 13 hours per day?"

I responded honestly, explaining that as a developer, much of my work involves not just coding, but also researching and troubleshooting through trial and error. These hours are part of the process to ensure the task is completed with precision and efficiency.

He countered by saying that only the time spent writing code or developing logic should be accounted for. But the reality is far more nuanced. "You hired me to complete a task," I explained, "and when that task was pending for weeks, I was able to resolve it in 12 hours. What seems easy now was hard-earned. You can't overlook the effort that went into reaching this point."

What frustrated me even more was that my manager seemed to forget the countless extra hours I had spent on client work—hours I didn’t even charge for.

The Big Picture: Are We Just Hired Guns?

In large organizations, particularly those in the Big4 where I work, employees often feel like hired guns—expected to deliver results, no matter the cost to their personal well-being. The focus is often on squeezing as many hours as possible out of us, with little regard for fair compensation or the long-term effects of burnout.

In my experience working for US-based clients, they are clear about charging only 8 hours per day, and if additional hours are worked, they insist on moving those to another day due to compliance and audit regulations. These clients understand that overworking employees raises red flags in terms of ethics and compliance.

In contrast, within our organization, working more than 8 hours is common, yet employees are still expected to log only 8 hours. This creates a hypocritical environment where we are briefed about ethics and compliance during onboarding, but in practice, these principles are disregarded. Managers often bend the rules to keep clients happy, sometimes at the expense of their team members' well-being.

The Harm of Long Hours

The culture of overwork isn't just about long hours—it's about the toxic mentality that comes with it. There's a pervasive idea that if one person can handle it, then everyone should be able to. This mindset is dangerous and can push employees into physical and mental exhaustion.

Working extended hours without proper recognition or compensation leads to burnout, which is a growing issue across many industries. Yet, rather than addressing this, some leaders have embraced the narrative that extreme workloads are a sign of commitment or strength. Recently, we’ve seen influential figures promoting the idea of working 80 to 100 hours per week, as if this is something to be admired.

This narrative is not only unrealistic but also harmful. It ignores the realities of stress, exhaustion, and mental health challenges. People who struggle under this pressure are often labeled as "weak" or "unable to cope," but the truth is that no one should be expected to sustain such workloads. The tragic outcomes of overwork—whether it leads to burnout, stress-related illnesses, or even suicide—are too often dismissed, with the blame falling on the individual instead of the system.

Conclusion: A Call for Change

It's time to challenge this harmful work culture. Long hours do not equate to better performance or higher productivity. In fact, studies show that overworking can lead to diminishing returns, where the quality of work suffers as exhaustion sets in. Instead of glorifying extreme work hours, organizations need to prioritize employee well-being, recognizing that healthy, balanced work habits lead to sustained productivity and innovation.

Leaders should take a hard look at their practices and understand that exploiting employees for extra hours without fair compensation is not just unethical—it’s unsustainable. We need to foster a work environment that respects personal time, encourages balance, and upholds the values of fairness and transparency. Only then can we hope to see real progress in the corporate world, where success is defined not by hours logged but by the quality of the work we do.