Jan 12, 2025 04:30 PM IST
The call for a 90-hour work week by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan has sparked varied responses from corporate leaders
As the debate over Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s pitch for a 90-hour work week heats up, many corporate leaders and CEOs have offered their responses to the chairman’s comments.
In a video circulating on Reddit, Subrahmanyan had asked his employees, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working.”
In an interview, Anand Mahindra took a dig at Subrahmanyan’s comments. “My wife is wonderful, and I love staring at her,” he said.
Responding to his comments, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla quipped, “Yes Anand Mahindra, even my wife Natasha Poonawalla thinks I am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays.”
Take a look at the post here:
“Quality of work over quantity always,” he added, after Mahindra was asked how many hours he works in a day. “Ask me about the quality of my work, not how many hours I work,” he had responded.
L&T chairman’s 90-hour work week call
During a now viral video of employee interaction, Subrahmanyan was asked why his multi billion dollar company was still asking employees to work on a Saturday. He doubled down and said he wanted his workers to be in the office on Sundays as well.
“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.
The statement caused a stir on social media as users criticised the L&T chairman for overlooking the importance of work-life balance for his employees.
L&T responded to the criticism by saying that their chairman’s remarks reflected a “larger ambition”.
(Also read: ‘I love staring at my wife’: Anand Mahindra takes a swipe at L&T chairman’s 90-hour workweek call)
“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. The Chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort,” an L&T spokesperson told HT.com.
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