Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has joined the ongoing debate over work hours and slammed those advocating a '90-hour workweek.' Taking to his official X account on Monday, he asked whether such advice was meant for humans or robots.
Mr Yadav, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said those pushing for a 90-hour workweek should first reflect on whether they followed such practices in their youth.
"If they truly worked 90 hours a week back then, why has our economy only reached this level?" he wrote in Hindi.
He said the truth is that the people sitting at the top get the maximum benefit of the hard work of the youth "without doing anything".
"These people should not forget that the youth not only have hands and feet or body, they also have a heart that wants to live freely and it is not about working for hours but about working wholeheartedly," he said, calling the 90-hour workweek advice "impractical".
प्रिय यंग एम्प्लॉयीज़
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 3, 2025
जो लोग एम्प्लॉयीज़ को 90 घंटे काम करने की सलाह दे रहे हैं कहीं वो इंसान की जगह रोबोट की बात तो नहीं कर रहे हैं क्योंकि इंसान तो जज़्बात और परिवार के साथ जीना चाहता है।
और आम जनता का सवाल ये भी है कि जब अर्थव्यवस्था की प्रगति का फ़ायदा कुछ गिने चुने लोगों…
He emphasized the importance of work-life balance and said the quality of work is more important than quantity.
"People want to live with their emotions and families. When only a handful of people benefit from economic growth, then whether the economy reaches USD 30 trillion or USD 100 trillion, it makes no difference to the common citizen," he added.
"True economic justice is when everyone gets the benefits of prosperity equally," the Lok Sabha MP said, adding that it was "not possible" under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He also said that a mentally healthy environment fosters creativity and productivity among young people, which in turn helps build a better nation.
He also attacked those advising to forget the entertainment and film industry.
"Entertainment and the film industry contribute billions to the economy. It helps people feel refreshed, revived and re-energized, which ultimately improves work quality," he said.
They also add billions of rupees to the economy, Mr Yadav said.
"A sinking boat cannot be saved just by advising people to swim," he added.
The 90-Hour Workweek Debate
The 90-hour workweek debate was triggered by Larsen & Toubro Ltd chairman SN Subrahmanyan in January, who called for employees to work on Sundays as well to maximise productivity.
"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working," he had said, adding that he works on Sundays too.
His remarks, however, led to massive social media outrage, with many questioning the fairness and ethics of such an extreme and demanding work model.
Earlier, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy had suggested that youngsters should be prepared to work for 70 hours a week to boost productivity.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has also backed long working hours. Last month, he said that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees work 120 hours in a week
"There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week," he said in 2018.
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