L&T Chairman's 90-Hour Work Week Comment Taken Out Of Context, Says HR Head

Amid the Larsen & Toubro Ltd. chairman's controversial remarks advocating a 90-hour work week, the company's head of domestic HR said that SN Subrahmanyan's comments have been taken out of context.

Sonica Muraleedharan, head of domestic human resources at the defence-to-construction giant, took to LinkedIn to try and clear the air around the "how-long-can-you-stare-at-your-wife" controversy.

"Having been present during the internal address, I can confidently state that [Subrahmanyan] never implied or mandated 90-hour work weeks. His remarks were casual in nature and have been misinterpreted, fuelling a controversy that doesn’t reflect his true intentions," she wrote.

Her detailed post highlighted how in her nearly five years of experience in the organisation, Subrahmanyan has shown "visionary leadership" and "deep commitment" to supporting his employees. She also added that "it’s crucial to take a step back and fully understand the context and intent behind his words before rushing to judgement." 

Comments on the LinkedIn post have termed Muraleedharan's clarification as "damage control" and a "cover-up story" among others.

In a now-viral video shared on Reddit, Subrahmanyan, in an internal meeting, was seen saying, "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, seemingly advocating for longer work hours.

Muraleedharan's clarification backtracks from the company's earlier statement wherein it had said that the chairman's remarks in the video reflected an ambition to drive progress and realise the vision of becoming a developed nation.

The HR executive's remarks have come at a time when Subrahmanyan's video has gained significant traction online, particularly after being shared on Reddit. Many users expressed their disapproval, with one commenter comparing Subrahmanyan to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, who previously faced criticism for encouraging young workers to put in 70-hour work weeks for nation building.

Prominent industry stakeholders also weighed in on Subrahmanyan's remarks, including Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, who said the debate is going in the "wrong direction"; Edelweiss Mutual Fund's Radhika Gupta, who highlighted how working long hours made her feel "miserable"; and Serum Institute's Adar Poonawala, who said his wife "loves staring" at him on Sundays.