90 hour work week
The debate is ongoing on the suggestion of SN Subramanian, Chairman of engineering and manufacturing company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to work for 90 hours a week. Industry veterans like Harsh Mariwala, Harsh Goenka and Rajiv Bajaj have said that work life balance is not optional but essential and working hard to be successful does not depend on working hours. He suggested that if it was necessary to follow the recommended practice of working long hours, it would have to start from the top.
Rs 51.05 crore annual package
L&T Chairman SN Subramanian, while advocating a 90-hour work week, had asked, ‘How long can you look at your wife?’ He had suggested that employees should leave Sundays also. There were sharp comments on his statement on social media. After Subramanian’s comment, his salary package has attracted the attention of social media users. Subramanian’s salary package was Rs 51.05 crore as per the company’s annual report for 2023-24. This was 534.57 times the average remuneration of the company’s employees.
‘Change the name of Sunday to Sun-Duty’
RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka wrote on social media platform ‘X’, “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday as ‘Sun-Duty’ and make ‘holiday’ an imaginary concept!” Goenka expressed his opposition to this concept. He said, “I believe in working hard and intelligently, but turning life into continuous office hours? This is not a recipe for success, but for fatigue. Work-life balance is not optional, it is essential. Well, that’s my idea.”
‘Start it at the top’
Joining the debate, Harsh Mariwala, Chairman, Marico Limited, wrote on ‘X’, “There is no doubt that hard work is the backbone of success, but it is not about the hours worked. It’s about the quality and passion shown in those hours.” “To truly engage and inspire our youth, we need to ensure they are given roles that not only challenge them but also foster growth and learning,” he said. When a person sees a path where hard work translates into a promising future, they are naturally inclined to give their best.” Sharing his views on ’90 hour work week’ with a TV channel, Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said, “Start it at the top and if it works as a proof of concept, scale it up. Apply below.” He said measuring working hours is archaic and backward.
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