According to ADP's 'People at Work 2026' report, a significant portion of the workforce in India works without receiving wages. Specifically, 16 or more people work unpaid on a weekly basis, and this number is quite high.
Furthermore, another 40% of workers perform unpaid labor for six to fifteen hours per week. Simply put, this means that many people in India work overtime without receiving additional compensation.
However, the situation in India is not the most severe compared to other countries in the world. Globally, 62% of employees work unpaid for up to five hours a week, 26% for six to fifteen hours, and 12% for sixteen hours or more.
A natural question arises regarding the reasons for this phenomenon. Working long hours without pay does not guarantee an improvement in work quality; on the contrary, it increases work pressure and reduces engagement in the process. According to the report, employees who work extensively without pay are more likely to face an inability to work at full capacity, as well as demonstrating higher levels of stress and inclination to consider quitting.
Workers who spent more than 16 hours a week on unpaid work noted a greater significance of their activities and a higher degree of engagement. Nevertheless, their productivity and satisfaction were lower, and they more often expressed a desire to find other employment.
The problem of unpaid overtime also affects remote employees. This difficulty is not limited only to office workers; among remote workers, the probability of working unpaid for a long time is higher than among colleagues working in hybrid or office formats. Young employees also speak more frequently about unpaid work. The report emphasizes that such a practice can negatively affect workers' productivity, health, and employment stability.