'Recipe for burnout': Deepika Padukone, RPG Enterprises' chairman Harsh Goenka react to L&T chairman's 90-hour workweek proposal

Bollywood actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone called out the Chairman and expressed her 'shock' over his statement.

The debate of work-life balance resumed, only this time the discussion has elevated from the usual 70-hour workweek to 90-hour workweek as being advocated by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan.

Subrahmanyan sparked an online outrage with his comments advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting that employees should even give up Sundays.

"How long can you stare at your wife," he is heard saying in a purported video address to employees where he urged them to spend less time at home and more in the office.

His statement has received multiple reactions and reignited the work-life balance debate, first triggered by Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy's suggestion of a 70-hour workweek.

Bollywood actor and founder of the not-for-profit organisation The Live Love Laugh Foundation, Deepika Padukone called out the Chairman and expressed her "shock".

Sharing a post on her Instagram story where the chairman made the statement about working on Sunday and how long could someone stare at their wives, the actor wrote: "Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements #mentalhealthmatters."

Credit: Instagram/deepikapadukone

In another story, the actor shared the statement of L&T supporting the chairman's statement as she wrote: "And they just made it worse..."

Credit: Instagram/deepikapadukone

"We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation...The chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary effort," L&T spokesperson said in a brief statement.

Stating that nation-building is at the core of L&T's mandate, it said for over eight decades, the company has been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities.

"At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, RPG Enterprises' chairman Harsh Goenka also joined the debate and criticised the L&T chairman.

In a post on X, the chairman shared a video of Subrahmanyan calling his idea of working on Sundays a "recipe for burnout".

"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. Well, that’s my view! #WorkSmartNotSlave," he wrote.

Last month, billionaire Gautam Adani had also waded into the work-life balance debate when he said the spouse will leave if one was to spend eight hours with the family.

He had reportedly stated that work-life balance is a matter of personal choice. "Your idea of work-life balance should not be imposed on me and my idea shouldn't be imposed on you. Say, someone spends 4 hours with family and finds joy in it, or if someone else spends 8 hours and enjoys it, that is their work-life balance."

"Aath ghanta family ke saath bitayega tho biwi bhaag jaayegi (Wife will leave if one spends eight hours with family)," he had said.

(With PTI inputs)