L&T Chief Calls for 90-Hour Work Week, Regrets Sunday Work Inability

Photo: Reuters

L&T Chairman, S N Subrahmanyan, recently sparked a big debate about work-life balance with his comments on how many hours employees should work each week. In a discussion with his staff about L&T’s six-day workweek policy, he suggested that employees work 90 hours per week, even going as far as saying they might need to give up their Sundays. His remarks have caught the attention of many and added more fuel to the ongoing conversation about balancing work and personal life.
This came shortly after similar comments from N R Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys. Murthy had suggested that young people should work 70 hours a week to help build the nation. His statement also got a lot of negative reactions online.

Subrahmanyan, however, went even further with his suggestion of a 90-hour workweek. He also questioned the time employees spend at home, asking, "How long can you stare at your wife?" He urged them to spend less time at home and focus more on their work. He added that he wished he could make Sundays a working day too, as he works on Sundays. "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," he said in a video that has been widely shared.

To support his viewpoint, Subrahmanyan shared a conversation he had with a person from China. According to him, the person believed China could surpass the United States because Chinese workers were working 90-hour weeks, while Americans typically work around 50 hours. Subrahmanyan said, "If you want to be on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week."

This video, which was first shared on Reddit, quickly went viral. However, it has also received strong criticism from many people online. Some viewers were upset about Subrahmanyan’s comments, especially the one about "staring at your wife," which they felt made light of personal lives and work-life balance. Critics argued that such statements ignored the importance of taking care of employees’ health and well-being, and they worried that this kind of thinking could create a harmful culture of overwork.

The backlash to Subrahmanyan’s comments is similar to the response Murthy’s suggestions received. Many people questioned the long-term effects of such workplace philosophies, especially when it comes to employee health and productivity.

Jan. 9, 2025 {{ Blogdetails.schedule_date|time }} 397

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