Hyderabad, Feb. 4 -- An IT professional has approached the Telangana labour department alleging that a major multinational company forced him to work extended hours for years without paying overtime.

The complaint comes at a time when the debate on ideal working hours in India has intensified following calls by industry leaders for longer work weeks.

16 hours a day

According to a report published in TOI, the complainant, Sridhar Merugu, said he was made to work intermittently for more than 16 hours a day during his 14-year tenure with the firm.

He has demanded compensation for the additional hours he worked. He stated that it is unreasonable to expect employees to put in such long shifts without adequate pay. Sridhar also moved the Na...