Zomato gives cheeky response to L&T chief's 90-hour workweek suggestion
What's the story
Zomato has hilariously reacted to the raging debate over a 90-hour work week, first suggested by Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyan.
The food delivery giant provided an alternative to Subrahmanyan's suggestion that employees should give up their Sundays.
"In case you don't have a wife, feel free to stare at your order arriving on the app," Zomato quipped on X.
This comes amid widespread criticism of Subrahmanyan's remarks in favor of longer office hours and weekend shifts.
Controversy details
Subrahmanyan's comments ignite debate
Subrahmanyan's remarks have revived the work-life balance debate that first emerged in 2024, when Infosys founder Narayana Murthy supported a 70-hour work week.
In the undated video clip that went viral, Subrahmanyan can be heard saying, "How long can you stare at your wife? I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays."
Public response
Social media reacts to work-life balance debate
Subrahmanyan's comments have triggered a meme fest on social media platforms, with many hopping on the 'staring at your wife on Sunday' bandwagon.
Notably, prominent personalities like businessman Anand Mahindra and actor Deepika Padukone have highlighted the importance of mental health and keeping a healthy work-life balance amid this debate.
Mahindra stressed on quality over quantity in work, saying a lot can be done even in 10 hours.
Industry insights
Mahindra and Poonawalla stress on work-life balance
Mahindra further emphasized the need for a mind "exposed to holistic thinking" and urged professionals from different fields like engineering and business administration, to study arts and culture to make decisions.
"If you're not spending time at home, if you're not spending time with friends, if you're not reading, if you don't have time to reflect, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?" he asked.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, echoed Mahindra's sentiments.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Zomato's take
in case you don't have a wife, feel free to stare at your order arriving on the app
— zomato (@zomato) January 12, 2025
Online backlash
Subrahmanyan's remarks draw criticism on Reddit
Subrahmanyan's remarks met with severe backlash. Many users drew parallels to Murthy, who had earlier faced flak for saying young people should work 70 hours/week.
Some questioned why low-paid employees should match working hours of a CEO earning 535x more.
"I don't care about competing with China... I just want to sit with my family and enjoy the limited amount of time I have here on earth with my loved ones," wrote one Reddit user in response to Subrahmanyan's comments.