A desperate employee of a multinational corporation (MNC) working in Hyderabad was fired days after he complained about long working hours. As companies increasingly exploit their employees, there seems to be no effective redress mechanism to enforce labor law. Employees are at the mercy of large corporate giants whose jobs are at risk if they raise awareness of malpractices in the organized sector.
This issue has come up repeatedly, but this time a former MNC employee took legal action for allegedly violating labor laws. Furious and exhausted after spending 14 years with the US-based firm, which allegedly forced him to work intermittently for almost 16 hours a day, the former employee sought overtime compensation. He approached the Telangana Labor Department to file a complaint.
Complainant Sridhar Merugu said: “It is impossible physically or mentally to work so many hours. Also, if companies charge clients by the hour, why shouldn’t employees be compensated accordingly?” This was reported by The Times of India.
Before seeking help from the Labor Department, Sridhar Merugu approached the National Human Rights Commission. An IT professional said he had no choice but to flag the “illegal practice” after the tech giant allegedly fired him for seeking overtime wages.
Read also | How much does it take to live well in Hyderabad?
Narrating the long-term workplace exploitation he faced, a former MNC employee alleged that the US-based company forced him to work even on sick days and denied him allowances for late night (8:00 to 4:00 a.m.) and early morning (4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.) shifts.
Pointing to labor law violations along with the absence of overtime pay, he said, “For about three to four months, I was forced to work continuously for more than 16 hours a day due to lack of resources.”
Read also | The working hours of Indians are among the longest in the world
Claiming his termination in September 2025 was linked to his refusal to work under “unlawful conditions”, the 45-year-old told the publication: “Instead of dealing with my complaints, they fired me within a week of raising the issue. The Hyderabad-based technician is suing the company for outstanding overtime pay, statutory interest and penalties.
Lack of work-life balance!
At a time when work-life balance is on the rise and India’s youth prefer quality time to burnout, the complaint assumes significance. Last year, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy sparked a debate on working hours after he recommended a 72-hour work week. With growing awareness, young professionals are setting boundaries, embracing rest and disconnecting from work to protect their mental and physical health.
Responding to similar concerns, Santosh Kumar, an IT employee with nearly three decades of experience, said: “Working without pay and on weekends and holidays has become very common, especially after the pandemic. Whether it’s management, team leaders or employees, everyone knows it but chooses to turn a blind eye.”
Read also | Flat sales in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai up 15pc last year: PropTiger
Companies are pushing employees to work overtime, he said, citing a lack of resources or budget constraints. If employees fail to do so, they are at risk of being fired. Lamenting that overtime has become the norm, he said: “Many are working more than 18 hours a day. The work culture has deteriorated and there is no job security.”
