‘Rename Sunday to Sun-duty’: Harsh Goenka slams L&T chairman’s 90-hour workweek remark; Deepika Padukone says it’s ‘shocking’

While acknowledging the value of hard work, Goenka emphasised the risks of pushing too far, warning against the dangers of burnout. He shared his belief in working “hard and smart,” but cautioned that turning life into a never-ending office shift is counterproductive. “Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential,” he stated, adding the hashtag #WorkSmartNotSlave.

See Goenka’s post:

90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept! Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential.… pic.twitter.com/P5MwlWjfrk

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) January 9, 2025

Sharing a post about Subrahmanyan’s remark, actress Deepika Padukone said, “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters,” in an Instagram story.

Subrahmanyan has been criticised by many social media users too. An X user said, “First Narayana Murthy, then Bhavish, and now Subrahmanyan – all playing ‘Superman’ with these arbitrary work-hour demands. Instead of making headlines with absurd statements, maybe focus on leading by example? Or is this just a publicity stunt?”

Another user wrote, “I’m sure in the spirit of “who works harder” someone is going to say 168 hour work week is ideal.”

Another X user pointed out a broader issue, “That is the problem with Indian job culture, it focuses more on quantity. 70 Hours, 90 Hours. Quality of work and well being of employees should be the priority.”