L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan's suggestion of a 90-hour work week and mandatory Sunday work has sparked a heated debate on work-life balance. His comment, "How long can you stare at your wife?" has been particularly criticised for being insensitive and dismissive of personal time. The controversial remark has sparked a hilarious memefest, with corporate bosses, celebrities and content creators joining forces to poke fun at the idea.
Anand Mahindra
Anand Mahindra first weighed in on the 90-hour workweek debate, suggesting that the focus should be on quality rather than quantity. He emphasised the importance of prioritising productivity and efficiency over lengthy work hours.
"I think this debate is in the wrong direction. It's not about 48, 40 hours, it's not about 70 hours, it's not about 90 hours. What output are you doing even if it's 10 hours? You can change the world in 10 hours." Talking about the controversial 'stare at wife' remark, the Mahindra Group chairman said, “My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her.”
Adar Poonawalla
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla in a social media post, echoed Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra's sentiment, saying, "Yes [Anand Mahindra], even my wife [Natasha Poonawalla] thinks I am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always. Work life balance."
Anupam Mittal
Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal took a lighthearted jab at Mr Subrahmanyan's comment and posted on X: "But sir, if husbands and wives don't look at each other, how will we remain the most populous country in the world?"
Ghazal Alagh
Mamaearth founders Varun and Ghazal Alagh shared a photo, with Ghazal captioning it, "Sundays are for staring. Post yours with #staringsundays."
Hari Menon
BigBasket founder and CEO Hari Menon stole the show with his witty response, rebranding Sunday as "Stare-day" in a humorous nod to L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's comment. Mr Menon jokingly tweeted, "Hope everyone is enjoying their Stareday".
Puneet Kumar
Puneet Kumar, Managing Director of Steadview Capital, also posted a humorous photo of himself staring at his wife, captioned: "Staring at my wife on a Sunday morning after a good workout! What did you do on your Sunday?"
SN Subrahmanyan's controversial remarks
SN Subrahmanyan was speaking at an internal meeting when he made the controversial 90-hour workweek statement. Drawing a comparison with the work culture in China, the L&T chairman mentioned the country's ability to surpass the US in the global competition was because of its people's readiness to put in 90-hour work weeks, whereas the Americans worked only 50 hours in a week.
However, many pointed out that a 90-hour work week is not only unrealistic but also detrimental to one's physical and mental health. Indian labour laws already cap the workweek at 48 hours, and exceeding this can lead to burnout, health problems, and decreased productivity. Mr Subrahmanyan's comments have also been seen as tone-deaf, given the significant salary disparity between him and the average L&T employee.
