S N Subrahmanyan, Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of L&T Photo: Larsen & Toubro official website S N Subrahmanyan, Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of L&T Photo: Larsen & Toubro official website

The debate over work-life balance in India was reignited recently after L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan made a contentious statement during an online interaction with his employees as he advocated for 90-hour work week. He also remarked, "How long can you stare at your wife" while suggesting that employees should work on Sundays as well. A clip of his speech went viral on social media and Subrahmanyan received criticism while the public memory remembers similar statements made by Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy and other businessmen last year.

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Subrahmanyan's statement has not just brought out the skewered idea of modern-day slavery in India but also highlighted deep-rooted misogyny, as pointed out by netizens on social media.

Not just statements, but the lack of work-life balance in Indian workplaces came to attention when 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil died due to excessive work pressure while being employed at Ernst and Young (EY) in Pune in September 2024.

Meanwhile, a resident of Dharavi Samruddin Sheikh said that he has been and brought up in the region. "The structure that the BMC and other authorities are illegal was not constructed in a day. It took several days, months. Where were the officer then?"

What Did L&T Chairman Say?

S N Subrahmanyan who is positioned as Non-Executive Director and Chairperson at Larsen & Toubro, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, during an interaction with his employees advocated for 90-hour work week and explained why they should work on Sundays too.

The concerned video recorded him saying, "I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays."

"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working," he further added.

The exact date of this video is not known to Outlook India.

Further explaining his point, Subrahmanyan shared a conversation he had with a Chinese person who narrated him of working for 90 hours and claimed that this would take China ahead of the United States since average work hours for American employees is 50 hours.

"So that’s the answer for you. If you have got to be on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week. Get going, guys. Come on," Subrahmanyan said.

Also read | Does Working Hard Mean Overworking? Deaths Due To 'Job Pressures' Bring Focus Work Stress Management

An L&T spokesperson backed the chairman's statement and told CNBC-TV18, “At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. We believe this is India’s decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward.”

Narayana Murthy And Others On 'Ideal' Work Hours

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy stated that young employees to work for 70 hours a week for better results in future and even after getting criticism for it he said, "I don't believe in work-life balance... I have not changed my view".

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, in a podcast last year, mentioned that he fully agreed Murthy's advice. He also shared that he worked 20 hours a day, seven days a week. He further said that the idea of having weekends off, with Saturdays and Sundays as holidays, is a Western concept and should not be followed in India. His comments sparked criticism and raised concerns, especially from doctors.

Shark Tank judges Anupam Mittal and Namita Thapar shared their views on the topic, but they had different opinions. Mittal, the founder and CEO of Shaadi.com, emphasized that people should work 80 hours a week in the early stages of their careers.

Mittal in a social media post said, "The actual number is less important... what matters is you work long enough during the week so that it is the only thing you have time for."

Meanwhile Thapar in a contrasting viewpoint addressed the controversy during an interview where she said it is unfair for business owners or high officials to expect salaried employees to extend work hours which might be easier for themselves to do given the financial privilege. She said while building one's own company, they may put in several more hours but they cannot expect the same from their employees.

Criticism

Subrahmanyan's statement received backlash from people across the society including actor Deepika Padukone who took to Instagram and wrote, "Shocking to see people in senior positions make such statements" and later reacting to the company's statement she said, "and they made it worse". Padukone has spoken about her own struggle with mental health and have been advocating for awareness regarding mental health in India since the last few years.

Journalist Nidhi Razdan also shared her mind over the remarks by L&T Chairman in a post on X where she stated, "His comments are problematic not only because he wants to enforce slavery but also because they reflect a deeper misogyny. Does L & T not employ women? The comments also reflect disrespect for a wife or partner. Shameful"

A social media user pointed out a pertinent concern in the man's statement, as she said, "After one or two years of marriage, nobody stares at their wife or spouse. But yeshot646, those hardworking people who work for your company don't have 7 to 8 servants to do the pending jobs piling up at home like washing clothes, cleaning cars, taking their kids for a movie, or clearing their doubts, or just simply cleaning out a cupboard or getting a haircut. Let your young employees enjoy family life. Give them an option to work on Sundays or enjoy a holiday. Family life and leisure time is as important as work life and money." She added, "When did you last receive a call from your loved one saying we are waiting for you at home and dinner is ready ?? I receive such a call everyday, and I consider myself the richest daughter in the world."

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