Feb 26, 2025
CEO Ashwin Yardi said, "Forty-seven and half hours. We have about nine hours a day and five days a week," responding to a question on the ideal time to be put in by an employee per week.
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The work-life balance debate has been particularly contentious over the past year after Infosys cofounder Narayana Murthy suggested a 70-hour work week.
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The L&T chairman S N Subrahmanyan suggested a 90-hour work week. This became a hot topic online, with many pointing out the difference between his salary and the median salary of L&T employees.
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Spending long hours at one’s desk is “detrimental” to the mental well-being of individuals. Those who spend 12 or more hours a day at a desk have distressed or struggling levels of mental well-being, it said.
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Premji said work-life balance was incredibly important and that it remains a “controversial subject”. Yet he believes that the hybrid working model by corporates helps its workforce.
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CP Gurnani had supported Murthy's view, saying that 70 hours doesn't need to be only for office work. "I believe when he talks of work, it's not limited to the company.. it extends to your self and to your country”.
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“Only very senior managers can sustain 80-hour work weeks because systems are built to sustain them (not just the pay but secretaries, assistants, etc). The rest need a life,” Sanjeev Sanyal said.
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ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri said empowering employees to realise their potential and accomplish their jobs well was more important than the number of hours put in.
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BharatPe CEO Nalin Negi said that quality matters more when it comes to measuring outcomes and productivity of employees at the workplace, not long hours clocked in.
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Gurmeet Chadha, CIO at Complete Circle, questioned why government employees and public servants should be exempted from rigorous performance reviews, a standard practice in private organisations.
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