Will you work for 90-hour a week as L&T Chairman suggested?

Will you work for 90-hour a week as L&T Chairman suggested?

KAKALI DAS

Every week, we eagerly await the two work-free days, but imagine having to work on a Saturday—or worse, on a Sunday. It would likely leave you feeling deflated and frustrated. Yet, this is precisely what the chairman of Larsen and Toubro is proposing. The idea of a longer workweek in India now has a prominent advocate.

Larsen & Toubro, commonly known as L&T, is an Indian multinational company specializing in heavy industries and construction. The company’s chairman, SN Subramanyan, has been at the forefront of its operations.

The chairman said, “I regret I’m 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.”

Garnished with a pinch of misogyny he said, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wife stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working.”

And he didn’t stop there. He went on to advocate for a 90-hour work week. Yes, you heard that right—90 hours of work per week.

To put that into perspective, the average workweek in the US is 36 hours, while in China, it is 48 hours. A 90-hour workweek, therefore, is not only unreasonable but borderline impossible. It would mean working all seven days without a break.

These comments have sparked significant backlash online. Industrialist Harsh Goenka was among the first to criticize the remark, sarcastically suggesting renaming Sunday to “Sun-duty” and turning the concept of a ‘day off’ into a myth.

He described the 90-hour workweek as a recipe for burnout, not success. “Work smart, not slave,” he added.

Actor DeepikaPadukone has also weighed in on the issue, calling it shocking to hear such statements from senior managers. She further emphasized her stance by adding the hashtag #MentalHealthMatters to her comment.

Badminton star JwalaGutta also chimed in, describing the remarks as both misogynistic and alarming.

As the outrage intensified, L&T issued a clarification, stating that the company is focused on nation-building and that the remarks reflect a broader ambition.

But let’s be honest – these comments don’t reflect a larger ambition; they highlight a bigger issue. The L&T chairman isn’t the first to spark this debate. Recently, Narayan Murthy, founder of Infosys did the same when he advocated for a 6-day workweek in India. Murthy also stated that he doesn’t believe in work-life balance.

These are titans of India’s corporate sector. They have built companies and institutions and created millions of jobs. So how is it that they are getting this so wrong?

The average age of an Indian CEO is 57 years, but as a nation, we are much younger, with the average age of an Indian being just 28. This creates a significant age gap, leading to differing opinions and perceptions—different, but not necessarily wrong.

Corporate leaders need to recognize the importance of reaching out to younger workers, understanding their concerns, and listening to their perspectives. Otherwise, such debates will persist. You can’t simply transfer your past experiences to the present; that’s a surefire way to foster misunderstandings.

Moreover, we need to approach this rationally. People tend to work more when there is an incentive to do so. In this case, who has more incentive—a CEO with stock options or an employee with no stake in the company? The answer seems clear: founders and CEOs are naturally more driven to work harder, as their success directly translates into personal wealth when the company thrives.

For context, SN Subramanian earns an annual salary of ₹51 crore, which is over 5.9 million dollars. This amount is more than 535 times the average salary of a worker at the same company.

And what do the employees receive in return? Perhaps a promotion or a salary hike. In fact, this is what we’re witnessing in India right now. Corporate profits are at a 15-year high, having risen by 300% in the last 4 years, yet salaries remain stagnant. They’ve only increased by 0.8% to 5.4%. When adjusted for inflation, it’s essentially a decrease.

So, what incentive do these workers have? Their companies are making more money than ever, yet the employees aren’t reaping the benefits.

Let’s take a look at the countries with the highest average work hours per week. Despite its relatively small population, Bhutan ranks at the top, with employees working an average of 54.4 hours per week. It is followed by the United Arab Emirates, Lesotho, Congo, and Qatar.

India ranks 13^th among the world’s most overworked countries, with workers putting in an average of 46.7 hours per week. In fact, 51% of India’s workforce works 49 hours or more each week. The country ranks 2^nd in terms of the highest rates of prolonged working hours, yet minimum wages in India are among the lowest. As a result, most Indians feel they are overworked and underpaid.

That some billionaires and top executives seem to have failed to understand this could be attributed to a generational gap. The youth view such working hours as exploitation and label the lack of understanding from top bosses as elitist.

With new generations like millennials and Gen-Z entering the workforce, they’re expressing a preference for working from anywhere, as long as they deliver results. For them, being in the office isn’t a necessity. The key point to understand here is that generational expectations are evolving.

Work-life balance is certainly lacking for many. Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Turkey, and Japan are the top five countries with the worst work-life balance.

Finally, we need to move away from this obsession with time. More hours doesn’t equate to more productivity; in fact, it often leads to the opposite.

A study by Pencavel, Professor Emeritus at Stanford, examined workers in a munitions factory. One group worked 70 hours a week, while the other worked 53 hours. The result? The 70-hour group had 19% less output.

How important is work-life balance? Do long working hours equate to more success? Well, no—working longer hours doesn’t guarantee success, and it certainly has its downsides. Research shows that working more than 55 hours a week can negatively impact health.

The World Health Organization states that a poor work-life balance can lead to burnout. According to a 2021 WHO report, long working hours are responsible for 750,000 deaths annually due to stroke and heart disease. Additionally, it can increase the risk of anxiety and depression.

In the West, a trend called ‘quiet quitting’ has emerged, where employees gradually disengage from their jobs, doing only the bare minimum. In recent years, there has been a significant shift in people’s outlook on work-life balance, particularly among the youth and especially after the pandemic.

This is just one example. Numerous studies link longer working hours to lower productivity, and the reasons are clear. With less sleep, reduced energy, and little time for family, you eventually end up burnt out.

So why do companies continue with this approach? Well, no one has a clear answer. Some argue that corporations are inherently rigid and resistant to major changes or adjustments. Others believe it’s because time is simply easier to measure.

Either way, companies and corporate leaders must recognize the truth: more hours do not equal more output. And if they disagree, here’s a question for them: You’re about to undergo a serious and potentially dangerous operation. You have two doctors to choose from—one who works seven days a week, and the other who works five days a week. Which one would you trust to operate on you?

Regardless, companies and corporate leaders must acknowledge the truth: more hours do not equal more output. And if they disagree, here’s a question for them: You’re about to go on a long road trip. You have two drivers to choose from—one who drives every day without rest, and the other who takes regular breaks and drives only 5 days a week. Which one would you trust to get you to your destination safely?

So, how much work is too much? Is it time for the country to reassess its strategy? The L&T top bosses’ 90-hour workweek remark has certainly sparked this important discussion.

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