Bill Gates’ ‘3 Days Work Week’ vs Narayana Murthy ‘70 hours’: Debate On Work-Life Balance

Work life balance is important for employees. Employees adopt various strategies and measures to achieve work-life balance and overall productivity. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy have presented contrasting views on work-life balance. Employees can learn lessons from them to enhance their own work-life balance.

Bill Gates’ ‘3 days work week’ vs Narayana Murthy ‘70 hours work week’

Bill Gates – an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, writer, and co-founder of the software giant Microsoft – has praised work life balance. In a blog post reflecting on his youth, Bill Gates has highlighted the significance of work life balance.

On the other hand, Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, India’s largest tech company, has urged India’s youth to commit to 70-hour work weeks to boost national development. However, this can affect work-life balance. 

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Bill Gates’ perspective on work-life balance

Bill Gates has said that work-life balance is important before the challenges of the upcoming year. Previously, he said that there could be one day when humans “don’t have to work so hard.” The tech billionaire said there could exist a world where “machines can make all the food and the stuff”, making a 3-day work week possible. He said that AI can take over labor-intensive tasks. 

He believes that AI can improve productivity and boost work-life balance. He has also highlighted the importance of AI-driven tools in order to help employees achieve work-life balance. 

He said, “When I was my kids’ age, I didn’t believe in vacations or weekends. But as I got older—and especially since I became a father—I realized there is more to life than work.”

Narayana Murthy’s perspective on work-life balance

Narayana Murthy said that he worked 80-90 hours per week during his prime. In India, he ignited a debate about working hours and their implications on health, wages, work-life balance and overall quality of life.

He asked Indian employees to commit to 70-hour work weeks. However, India stipulates a 40-hour work week, expandable to 48 hours with overtime. 

Conclusion

The ongoing debate has drawn varying responses from tech companies and tech billionaires. Some workers lauded Bill Gates’ stance on work-life balance, while others lauded Murthy’s attitudes towards work.

Gates advocated for shorter working hours, while Murthy advocated for longer working hours. The contrasting perspectives of Gates and Murthy started a debate on work-life balance. 

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