Last Updated:January 13, 2026, 08:00 IST
Data shows with AI productivity expectations are rising, but mental health, satisfaction remain low. The question is not whether hustle culture is harmful, but whether it is dying
Automation, AI tools, and hybrid work models were expected to reduce manual load, streamline tasks, and free up time. In practice, the opposite has often happened. (Getty Images)
US tech entrepreneur and anti-ageing advocate Bryan Johnson called hustle culture “terrible for health” and warned that late-night work habits should not be seen as “heroic”.
For more than a decade, hustle culture has shaped employees in India. Long hours were framed as ambition, constant availability as commitment, and burnout as a temporary price to pay for success; Working harder was not just encouraged, it was moralised.
In 2026, that narrative seems to be facing a serious challenge. New workforce data from late 2025 shows productivity expectations are rising, but engagement, mental health, and life satisfaction remain stubbornly low. The question now is no longer whether hustle culture is harmful, but whether it is finally weakening, or simply mutating into a new, tech-enabled form.
What The Latest Data Says About Work And Well-Being
Surveys released between November and December 2025 across South Asia reveal a consistent pattern. While output metrics and efficiency indicators have improved, employee well-being has not followed the same curve.
Engagement levels in India remain below global averages, with a majority of workers reporting that they feel “disconnected” from their organisation’s purpose. Emotional well-being scores, which cover stress, anxiety, and daily fatigue, continue to trail behind Western benchmarks.
Perhaps most telling is the gap between hours worked and perceived productivity: many employees say they are working longer but accomplishing less meaningful work.
This disconnect is visible across sectors. IT professionals report “meeting fatigue” and blurred work-life boundaries. Manufacturing workers cite extended shifts without corresponding wage growth. Gig workers report algorithm-driven pressure that rewards availability over sustainability. Even public-sector employees, often assumed to be insulated from hustle culture, report rising workloads linked to digitisation and staffing shortages.
“In 2026, burnout overshadows every other organisational challenge, talent attraction, economic uncertainty, and retention of specialists. Global Workplace reported that only 21% of people feel engaged at work. Which is shockingly low. Disengagement is eating away at economies, costing hundreds of billions every year with lost productivity, absenteeism, and people quitting when they don’t really have to. And it gets worse because when managers burn out, their teams don’t stand a chance, they follow right behind… Blurred boundaries between work and life, unrealistic performance targets, and inadequate support systems keep feeding the cycle,” says Ambrish Kanungo, HR Head at Beyond Key.
The Productivity Paradox Of AI And Automation
One of the strongest arguments against hustle culture has always been technology. Automation, AI tools, and hybrid work models were expected to reduce manual load, streamline tasks, and free up time. In practice, the opposite has often happened.
In many workplaces, AI has increased expectations rather than reduced them. Tasks that once took hours are now expected to be completed in minutes. Faster turnaround times have translated into higher volume, not fewer demands. Hybrid work, initially framed as flexibility, has extended the workday as messages and calls spill into evenings and weekends.
“The most recent Gen Z and Millennial Survey captured the sentiment plainly: work-life balance ranks at the top of priorities, leadership ambition has dropped to single digits for many, and large percentages report near-constant stress and anxiety. Post-pandemic clarity, economic pressures, and conversations about fairness have cemented the view that professional success should not require the systematic sacrifice of personal health. Organisations that ignore this reality lose talent quickly,” explained Kanungo.
This is the productivity paradox of 2025: efficiency gains have been absorbed by intensity. Instead of asking how technology can reduce pressure, many organisations have used it to extract more output from the same workforce. The result is a sense that the finish line keeps moving.
Who Is Actually Moving Away From Hustle Culture
The retreat from hustle culture is not uniform. Some groups are pushing back more visibly than others. Among corporate professionals in metros, especially those with in-demand skills, there is growing resistance to constant overwork. Employees are more willing to decline late-night calls, negotiate boundaries, and prioritise roles that offer flexibility over prestige. Attrition patterns suggest that many are choosing stability and mental health over aggressive growth trajectories.
Gen Z workers, in particular, are redefining success. They are more likely to question unpaid overtime, push back against vague “passion” expectations, and leave workplaces that normalise burnout. For them, hustle is not a badge of honour; it is a warning sign.
“I think generations before us have equated seriousness towards work to the extra hours spent in the office, calls and meetings attended after work hours, and saying ‘yes’ to every task. For me, that is not a healthy way to lead your life, let alone work. I will do my job, but not at the cost of my personal time. For me, passion is not defined by exhausting yourself but by doing your part sincerely and mindfully. Work cannot be life; it’s just a part of life,” said 25-year-old Ananya, who works at a media firm, and requested anonymity.
Another Gen Z, Ridhima, 24, said work culture is a “red flag in today’s time”. If the success is being ‘redefined’, then ambition can’t be replaced by crossing boundaries and endless limits. As a Gen Z professional, I’m not afraid to walk away from burnout, but I will always choose workplaces that respect limits. It is a failure of the system, not a requirement for the job… Both Gen X and Gen Z employees must question the passion and reject burnout to understand and redefine what hustle truly means.”
Aashish, who works at an advertising company and wishes anonymity, said, “Growing up, I saw my dad working late hours, coming home at 8 pm or 10 pm, and this continued till I reached my youth. It was only after he retired and we spent more time together that I realized that there is actually a lot I don’t know about him. I don’t want to miss out on these precious moments just because a deadline was due.”
Who Is Being Pushed Deeper Into Hustle
Gig workers, informal labourers, MSME employees, and early-career professionals often have little choice. Algorithm-driven platforms reward speed, availability, and acceptance rates, penalising rest. Informal workers face income volatility that forces longer hours. In smaller enterprises, lean staffing means each employee carries multiple roles.
Even among white-collar workers, mid-career professionals face a different reality. Many are caught between family responsibilities and job insecurity, making it harder to reject overwork. The fear of being replaced by younger talent or automation keeps hustle firmly in place.
This uneven impact highlights a critical truth: hustle culture is not just a mindset; it is a structural condition tied to power, security, and access.
The Cultural Incentives That Keep Hustle Alive
Despite growing awareness of burnout, hustle culture continues to thrive because it is deeply rewarded. Promotions of ten favour visibility over sustainability. Employees who respond instantly, stay late, and take on extra tasks are still perceived as “committed.” In many workplaces, output is less visible than effort, making long hours a proxy for value.
Family and societal expectations also play a role. For first-generation professionals, overwork is often seen as gratitude for opportunity. Exam-driven environments reinforce the idea that relentless effort is the only path to upward mobility.
Social media has further complicated the picture. Productivity content, “day in my life” reels, and grind narratives have repackaged hustle as aspirational, even as real-world data shows diminishing returns.
What Is Actually Changing As 2026 Begins
Hiring language has begun to change in some sectors. Job descriptions increasingly mention flexibility, output-based evaluation, and mental health support. For example, Unilver tackles mental health through manager training, Microsoft offers a flexible hybrid policy, allowing remote work, and Deloitte provides up to 25 free counselling sessions for employees and family members for stress management.
Performance metrics are also under scrutiny. Some organisations are experimenting with outcome-focused reviews rather than hours logged. Others are piloting “no-meeting days” or enforcing mandatory time-off policies.
“Forget clocking endless hours just to look busy. Companies now care about real results, not just time spent. The data could not be clearer: focused, high-quality work beats long, scattered days every single time. Flexible arrangements have proven that shorter windows of uninterrupted attention frequently outperform long stretches of grinding. As a result, performance frameworks are being rewritten. This shift resonates deeply with what people actually want from work: purpose they can feel and energy they can preserve,” pointed out Kanungo.
At the same time, quieter forms of resistance are growing. “Quiet quitting”, which is doing the job without emotional overinvestment, has become more common. Employees are choosing adequacy over excellence when excellence comes at a personal cost.
These shifts suggest that hustle culture may be losing its moral high ground, even if it has not yet lost its grip.
The Policy Conversation Is Catching Up Slowly
The changing work landscape has also entered policy debates. Discussions around the Right to Disconnect, gig worker protections, and mental health frameworks are gaining traction, though concrete action remains uneven.
India’s labour laws still prioritise productivity and compliance over well-being. Mental health coverage is improving, but preventive frameworks are weak. For gig workers, classification remains a major barrier to formal protections.
“The way forward for protecting both jobs and productivity lies in deliberately human-centred design. Continuous, practical skill-building keeps people confident and relevant in roles that increasingly value judgment, creativity, and strategic perspective over rote execution. Organisational structures emphasise job security through diversified business models. Companies that make this transition thoughtfully are emerging more creative, more resilient, and far more attractive to the talent that will define the next decade,” stressed Kanungo.
Is Hustle Culture Ending, Or Evolving?
As 2026 begins, hustle culture in the country appears less dominant, but far from defeated. It is being questioned, challenged, and reframed, particularly by younger workers and those with leverage. Yet for vast sections of the workforce, it remains a daily reality shaped by insecurity and necessity.
The more uncomfortable truth is that hustle culture may not disappear; it may simply evolve. In a tech-driven economy, overwork no longer looks like staying late at the office. It means constant availability, invisible labour, and performance pressure disguised as flexibility.
Whether India can move beyond hustle will depend on whether productivity is finally decoupled from exhaustion. Until then, the grip may loosen, but it has not yet let go.
First Published:
January 13, 2026, 08:00 IST
News explainers Meeting Fatigue, Always-On Work, Low Productivity: Are Employees Done With Hustle Culture In 2026?Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
In 2026, that narrative seems to be facing a serious challenge. New workforce data from late 2025 shows productivity expectations are rising, but engagement, mental health, and life satisfaction remain stubbornly low. The question now is no longer whether hustle culture is harmful, but whether it is finally weakening, or simply mutating into a new, tech-enabled form.
What The Latest Data Says About Work And Well-Being
Surveys released between November and December 2025 across South Asia reveal a consistent pattern. While output metrics and efficiency indicators have improved, employee well-being has not followed the same curve.
Engagement levels in India remain below global averages, with a majority of workers reporting that they feel “disconnected” from their organisation’s purpose. Emotional well-being scores, which cover stress, anxiety, and daily fatigue, continue to trail behind Western benchmarks.
Perhaps most telling is the gap between hours worked and perceived productivity: many employees say they are working longer but accomplishing less meaningful work.
This disconnect is visible across sectors. IT professionals report “meeting fatigue” and blurred work-life boundaries. Manufacturing workers cite extended shifts without corresponding wage growth. Gig workers report algorithm-driven pressure that rewards availability over sustainability. Even public-sector employees, often assumed to be insulated from hustle culture, report rising workloads linked to digitisation and staffing shortages.
“In 2026, burnout overshadows every other organisational challenge, talent attraction, economic uncertainty, and retention of specialists. Global Workplace reported that only 21% of people feel engaged at work. Which is shockingly low. Disengagement is eating away at economies, costing hundreds of billions every year with lost productivity, absenteeism, and people quitting when they don’t really have to. And it gets worse because when managers burn out, their teams don’t stand a chance, they follow right behind… Blurred boundaries between work and life, unrealistic performance targets, and inadequate support systems keep feeding the cycle,” says Ambrish Kanungo, HR Head at Beyond Key.
The Productivity Paradox Of AI And Automation
One of the strongest arguments against hustle culture has always been technology. Automation, AI tools, and hybrid work models were expected to reduce manual load, streamline tasks, and free up time. In practice, the opposite has often happened.
In many workplaces, AI has increased expectations rather than reduced them. Tasks that once took hours are now expected to be completed in minutes. Faster turnaround times have translated into higher volume, not fewer demands. Hybrid work, initially framed as flexibility, has extended the workday as messages and calls spill into evenings and weekends.
“The most recent Gen Z and Millennial Survey captured the sentiment plainly: work-life balance ranks at the top of priorities, leadership ambition has dropped to single digits for many, and large percentages report near-constant stress and anxiety. Post-pandemic clarity, economic pressures, and conversations about fairness have cemented the view that professional success should not require the systematic sacrifice of personal health. Organisations that ignore this reality lose talent quickly,” explained Kanungo.
This is the productivity paradox of 2025: efficiency gains have been absorbed by intensity. Instead of asking how technology can reduce pressure, many organisations have used it to extract more output from the same workforce. The result is a sense that the finish line keeps moving.
Who Is Actually Moving Away From Hustle Culture
The retreat from hustle culture is not uniform. Some groups are pushing back more visibly than others. Among corporate professionals in metros, especially those with in-demand skills, there is growing resistance to constant overwork. Employees are more willing to decline late-night calls, negotiate boundaries, and prioritise roles that offer flexibility over prestige. Attrition patterns suggest that many are choosing stability and mental health over aggressive growth trajectories.
Gen Z workers, in particular, are redefining success. They are more likely to question unpaid overtime, push back against vague “passion” expectations, and leave workplaces that normalise burnout. For them, hustle is not a badge of honour; it is a warning sign.
“I think generations before us have equated seriousness towards work to the extra hours spent in the office, calls and meetings attended after work hours, and saying ‘yes’ to every task. For me, that is not a healthy way to lead your life, let alone work. I will do my job, but not at the cost of my personal time. For me, passion is not defined by exhausting yourself but by doing your part sincerely and mindfully. Work cannot be life; it’s just a part of life,” said 25-year-old Ananya, who works at a media firm, and requested anonymity.
Another Gen Z, Ridhima, 24, said work culture is a “red flag in today’s time”. If the success is being ‘redefined’, then ambition can’t be replaced by crossing boundaries and endless limits. As a Gen Z professional, I’m not afraid to walk away from burnout, but I will always choose workplaces that respect limits. It is a failure of the system, not a requirement for the job… Both Gen X and Gen Z employees must question the passion and reject burnout to understand and redefine what hustle truly means.”
Aashish, who works at an advertising company and wishes anonymity, said, “Growing up, I saw my dad working late hours, coming home at 8 pm or 10 pm, and this continued till I reached my youth. It was only after he retired and we spent more time together that I realized that there is actually a lot I don’t know about him. I don’t want to miss out on these precious moments just because a deadline was due.”
Who Is Being Pushed Deeper Into Hustle
Gig workers, informal labourers, MSME employees, and early-career professionals often have little choice. Algorithm-driven platforms reward speed, availability, and acceptance rates, penalising rest. Informal workers face income volatility that forces longer hours. In smaller enterprises, lean staffing means each employee carries multiple roles.
Even among white-collar workers, mid-career professionals face a different reality. Many are caught between family responsibilities and job insecurity, making it harder to reject overwork. The fear of being replaced by younger talent or automation keeps hustle firmly in place.
This uneven impact highlights a critical truth: hustle culture is not just a mindset; it is a structural condition tied to power, security, and access.
The Cultural Incentives That Keep Hustle Alive
Despite growing awareness of burnout, hustle culture continues to thrive because it is deeply rewarded. Promotions of ten favour visibility over sustainability. Employees who respond instantly, stay late, and take on extra tasks are still perceived as “committed.” In many workplaces, output is less visible than effort, making long hours a proxy for value.
Family and societal expectations also play a role. For first-generation professionals, overwork is often seen as gratitude for opportunity. Exam-driven environments reinforce the idea that relentless effort is the only path to upward mobility.
Social media has further complicated the picture. Productivity content, “day in my life” reels, and grind narratives have repackaged hustle as aspirational, even as real-world data shows diminishing returns.
What Is Actually Changing As 2026 Begins
Hiring language has begun to change in some sectors. Job descriptions increasingly mention flexibility, output-based evaluation, and mental health support. For example, Unilver tackles mental health through manager training, Microsoft offers a flexible hybrid policy, allowing remote work, and Deloitte provides up to 25 free counselling sessions for employees and family members for stress management.
Performance metrics are also under scrutiny. Some organisations are experimenting with outcome-focused reviews rather than hours logged. Others are piloting “no-meeting days” or enforcing mandatory time-off policies.
“Forget clocking endless hours just to look busy. Companies now care about real results, not just time spent. The data could not be clearer: focused, high-quality work beats long, scattered days every single time. Flexible arrangements have proven that shorter windows of uninterrupted attention frequently outperform long stretches of grinding. As a result, performance frameworks are being rewritten. This shift resonates deeply with what people actually want from work: purpose they can feel and energy they can preserve,” pointed out Kanungo.
At the same time, quieter forms of resistance are growing. “Quiet quitting”, which is doing the job without emotional overinvestment, has become more common. Employees are choosing adequacy over excellence when excellence comes at a personal cost.
These shifts suggest that hustle culture may be losing its moral high ground, even if it has not yet lost its grip.
The Policy Conversation Is Catching Up Slowly
The changing work landscape has also entered policy debates. Discussions around the Right to Disconnect, gig worker protections, and mental health frameworks are gaining traction, though concrete action remains uneven.
India’s labour laws still prioritise productivity and compliance over well-being. Mental health coverage is improving, but preventive frameworks are weak. For gig workers, classification remains a major barrier to formal protections.
“The way forward for protecting both jobs and productivity lies in deliberately human-centred design. Continuous, practical skill-building keeps people confident and relevant in roles that increasingly value judgment, creativity, and strategic perspective over rote execution. Organisational structures emphasise job security through diversified business models. Companies that make this transition thoughtfully are emerging more creative, more resilient, and far more attractive to the talent that will define the next decade,” stressed Kanungo.
Is Hustle Culture Ending, Or Evolving?
As 2026 begins, hustle culture in the country appears less dominant, but far from defeated. It is being questioned, challenged, and reframed, particularly by younger workers and those with leverage. Yet for vast sections of the workforce, it remains a daily reality shaped by insecurity and necessity.
The more uncomfortable truth is that hustle culture may not disappear; it may simply evolve. In a tech-driven economy, overwork no longer looks like staying late at the office. It means constant availability, invisible labour, and performance pressure disguised as flexibility.
Whether India can move beyond hustle will depend on whether productivity is finally decoupled from exhaustion. Until then, the grip may loosen, but it has not yet let go.
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