Mumbai: As the debate continues with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, SN Subrahmanyan, proposed a 90-hour work week, Capgemini CEO Ashwin Yardi on Tuesday proposed a more balanced approach while supporting a 47.5-hour work week. Dissuad emails to employees on weekends.
Yardi explains his position on maintaining a structured work week in his speech at the Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum here.
He said to the party: “Forty-seven and a half hours. We have about nine and a half hours and five days a week.”
Capgemini CEO also shared that his guiding principle for the past four years was to avoid sending emails on weekends unless it could really solve the problem during that time.
When he admitted to working on weekends occasionally, he said he avoided emailing employees to prevent unnecessary stress.
The debate around long hours has caused industry leaders to respond differently. Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube expressed his disagreement about his thoughts on working too long.
“I don’t want young people to work 70 hours. How can I expect them if I don’t?” he said recently.
Dube stressed the importance of work-life balance and pointed out that professionals should be able to advance while maintaining their personal time.
He added: “I want people to have that view.”
NASSCOM Chairman Sindhu Gangadharan, who is also in charge of SAP India, responded to a similar view and pointed out that the results should be more important than the amount of working hours.
Marico CEO Saugata Gupta shared that although he agrees with the need for work-life balance, he himself sometimes sends emails at 11 p.m.
The debate was first ignited by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, who advocates for a 70-hour working day.
Subrahmanyan said last month that he regretted that the L&T staff did not work on Sunday, saying: “If I could get you to work on Sunday, I would be even happier because I work on Sunday too.”
