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Journalism of Courage
Recently, a debate around work-life balance and corporate expectations has reignited, triggered by controversial comments from Larsen & Toubro chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan. During an employee interaction, Subrahmanyan’s remarks advocating for extended work hours, including weekends, have drawn widespread criticism. His comments, including the assertion, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working,” have sparked outrage across the Indian workforce.
Subrahmanyan isn’t alone in pushing for extreme work cultures. Industry figures like Infosys’ Narayana Murthy and Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal have also previously suggested longer working hours to boost productivity and growth. These viewpoints, however, starkly contrast with voices like Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals and investor on Shark Tank India, who advocates for a more balanced approach to work.
Namita has publicly denounced expecting employees to invest excessive hours at the workplace. In a now-viral clip reposted from her conversation with Humans of Bombay, she stated, “This is a crock of bull***. Pardon my language. I completely disagree.”*
She explained that while founders and high-level stakeholders have a financial incentive to pour in endless hours, such expectations from employees are unreasonable and harmful. “For founders, high stakeholders who make tons of money, go for it. Work 24 hours a day forever. But for the common man and woman, they need specified work hours,” she said.
Thapar emphasised that while bursts of extra effort might occasionally be required, these instances should remain exceptions rather than becoming the norm. Highlighting the risks of burnout, she pointed out that expecting employees to sacrifice their physical and mental health for corporate gain is unethical and unsustainable.
Thapar illustrated her stance with real-world examples. “When Emcure went public, it was valued at $3 billion, and my family owns 80 percent of it,” She explained, sharing an airtight example. “Obviously, we could work 20 hours a day, which is what we all do. But the employee? Emcure has 10,000 employees. My accountant, for instance, is making a salary. He doesn’t have the same financial upside of putting in that kind of hours. Instead, he’ll face serious physical and mental health issues”.
Her candid critique of the push for excessive working hours serves as a reminder that corporations must consider the well-being of their workforce. She advocates for a model where employees are valued as individuals, not just as cogs in a profit-making machine.
The starkly different views of Subrahmanyan and Thapar encapsulate a more extensive debate about the future of work culture in India. As industries evolve and younger generations enter the workforce, the balance between productivity and personal well-being becomes increasingly important.
