Larsen & Toubro’s chairman S N Subrahmanyan
Credit: L&T website
Adding fuel to the much-debated issue of work-life balance in the Indian corporate world, Larsen & Toubro’s Chairman, S N Subrahmanyan, expressed regret for not making employees work on Sundays.
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Advocating for a 90-hour workweek, Subrahmanyan suggested that employees should even forgo their Sundays.
The L&T executive made these remarks during an interaction with employees when he was questioned about the company’s six-day workweek policy.
“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,” Subrahmanyan said in an undated video that surfaced on social media platform Reddit.
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Work-life balance
As if this wasn’t enough, Subrahmanyan added, “How long can you stare at your wife?” urging employees to spend less time at home.
“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 said.
He also shared an anecdote about a conversation he had with a Chinese individual who claimed that China could surpass the United States because Chinese workers put in 90 hours a week compared to the 50 hours worked by Americans.
“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.
Startup co-founder’s tweet on no work-life balance goes viral, later calls it unsustainable
Many users found Subrahmanyan’s comments inappropriate, flooding the post with their reactions. They compared his remarks to statements made by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy last year. His proposal had sparked widespread debate about the pressures of professional life in India.
“I don’t care about competing with China. Let China become number one; it doesn’t make a difference to me. I just want to spend the limited time I have with my loved ones,” one user commented.
“Even Narayana Murthy was talking about 70 hours. This man is talking about 90 hours… my God! That’s some arrogance and ignorance,” another user said.
“And here I thought L&T was a good company. Seems like everyone’s following Narayana Murthy’s footsteps,” another user wrote.
‘Extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort’: L&T issues a clarification
Meanwhile, L&T has addressed the uproar, stating that Subrahmanyan’s remarks emphasised that “extraordinary effort” is needed for “extraordinary outcomes”.
The company issued a detailed statement clarifying its stance.
“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 realize 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,” an L&T spokesperson said.
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Published 09 January 2025, 03:14 IST
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