L&T report praises ‘mandatory annual leave, stress management’ as focus of anger over ’90-hour work week’

Larsen and Toubro went viral on Friday as chairman SN Subrahmanyan called for a 90-hour work week. The comments sparked outrage on social media platforms and ultimately prompted a clarification from the company. The company’s annual report is in the spotlight for its emphasis on “prioritizing stress management” and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

“How long can you stare at your wife? I’m sorry I can’t let you work on Sunday. If I could let you work on Sunday, I’d be happier because I work on Sunday.” in undated video Subrahmanyan can be heard saying.

The comments have since spotlighted the company’s annual report, which addressed the need to “prioritize stress management.”

“The company encourages employees to prioritize stress management techniques such as mindfulness, exercise and seeking support when needed. Counseling, coaching and awareness workshops are also organized for employees to enable them to cope with challenging situations. Additionally, keeping in mind the importance of staying healthy With the importance of work-life balance and enhanced employee experience, we have introduced 10 days of mandatory time off per year to ensure employees have dedicated time to rejuvenate and recharge,” 2024 Annual Report.

Actor Deepika Padukone tagged the post on Instagram, stressing the need to protect mental health in light of the “shocking” claims. Meanwhile, Union member Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed that the post “reeks of wannabe new-age slave owners in India”. Many others have also questioned why highly paid CEOs with different job pressures expect the same level of commitment from less well-paid employees.

The remarks also reignited the work-life balance debate sparked by Narayana Murthy in 2024. Infosys co-founder insists India has one of the lowest levels of work productivity in the world and urges young people to work 70 hours a week.

The company eventually issued a clarification on the matter, noting that the remarks were made in the context of the extraordinary efforts required to achieve extraordinary results for the country.

“We believe that this is India’s decade that requires collective dedication and hard work to drive progress and achieve our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The President’s speech reflected this larger ambition and highlighted the extraordinary efforts,” one the spokesperson explained.

(Based on input from each agency)