Larsen & Toubro Chairman Wants Employees To Work 90 Hours A Week, Company Issues Statement
SN Subrahmanyan is seen on video asking, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can your wife stare at you?”
After Narayana Murthy's work 70-hours a week comment, there is a new voice creating a stir on social media. The chairman of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), SN Subrahmanyan suggested that employees should work 90 hours a week. During a recent employee interaction, Subrahmanyan was questioned about why the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate still required its workers to come in on Saturdays.
In a now-viral video shared on Reddit, Subrahmanyan, in an internal meeting, is 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.
The chairman's remarks in the video reflect an ambition to drive progress and realise the vision of becoming a developed nation, L&T spokesperson said in a statement.
“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,” the company added.
He went on to dismiss the idea of employees spending their weekends at home, questioning, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can your wife stare at you?” He continued by suggesting that employees return to the office and get to work.
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In follow-up to that comment, Subrahmanyan drew a comparison to a conversation he had with a Chinese individual. He said the Chinese person claimed that the nation's ability to surpass the United States in global competition was due to the fact that Chinese workers put in 90-hour work weeks, whereas Americans only work 50 hours.
The remarks have gained 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.
One Reddit user expressed frustration, stating, “And here I’m thinking L&T is a good company, seems like everyone’s following Narayana Murthy's footsteps.”
