Backlash Against L&T Chief Who Wants Employees to Work on Sundays

Indian multinational conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subhrahmanyan's comments on employees' working hours drew heavy backlash on social media from celebrities and industrialists alike.

The controversy was triggered by a video, which was recorded during an employee interaction at L&T. In the video, when Subhrahmanyan was asked about the employees' working hours, he responded saying he wanted employees to work even on Sundays: “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you look at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working.”

After the video went viral drawing flak for L&T, the company had to issue a statement saying that India needs collective effort for its development goals. “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 outcomes require extraordinary effort,” said the statement.

But Subhrahmanyan's comments were heavily criticised by actors like Deepika Padukone, Jwala Gutta and industrialist Harsh Goenka.

Various media houses have reported that Subhramanyan received ₹51 crore in total compensation in 2023–2024. The New Indian Express claims that Subrahmanyan's pay is 534.57 times that of the median L&T employee wage.