L&T clarifies Chairman Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour workweek remark, says ‘extraordinary outcomes require…’

Larsen and Toubro on Thursday issued a clarification on the company's Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's remark on the 90-hour workweek.

A company spokesperson, in a statement, said Subrahmanyan's remarks reflected the larger ambition for India, which emphasised achieving extraordinary outcomes by making extraordinary efforts. 

“The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward,” said the Larsen and Toubro spokesperson, while clarifying the chairman's comment.

“At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. 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.” 

90-hour workweek

The 90-hour workweek debate started when Larsen and Toubro Chairman Subrahmanyan advocated for working even on Sundays. A Reddit video of him emerged, where he was seen saying that he regreted not making employees work on Sundays.

“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,” said the L&T chairman.

He supported the 90-hour workweek narrative that people should follow to be “on top of the world”. Along with the 90-hour remark, the chairman also questioned people's reasons for staying home and told them to go to the office to work. 

“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?” questioned Subrahmanyan, and said, “Come on, get to the office and start working.”

However, many industry professionals like Harsh Goenka have criticised the idea of a 90-hour workweek. He highlighted the need to work hard and smart and not turn the work hours into a perpetual office shift, which may cause burnout. 

SN Subrahmanyan's salary breakdown

SN Subrahmanyan, the Chairman of Larsen & Toubro, earned ₹51 crore as salary in the financial year 2023-24. The salary marked a 43.11 per cent hike from his pay a year ago, reported the New Indian Express.

Subrahmanyan's salary breakdown comprises ₹3.6 crore as the Base Salary and ₹1.67 crore of Prerequisites. The biggest chunk of the salary, or ₹35.28 crore, comes under commissions, and ₹10.5 crore of retirement benefits, as per the report.

HR Katha reported that the chairman's salary is 534.57 times higher than the median salary of L&T employees, which was around ₹9.55 lakh in the financial year 2023-24.

Subrahmanyan has been the Chairman and Managing Director of Larsen and Toubro from October 1, 2023.

(This article has been updated to add new information)