Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has voiced her concern on the conversation about L&T chairman S. N. Subrahmanyan’s comments on making employees work on Sundays, sharing her surprise and disappointment at hearing such comments from leaders in high positions.
In a video, he stated, "How long can you stare at your wife? I regret that I am unable to make you work on Sundays. If I could make you work on Sundays, I would be even happier, because I work on Sundays."
Sharing a post about the L&T chairman's statement on her Instagram Stories, Padukone wrote, "Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements #mentalhealthmatter."
Subrahmanyan's comments sparked criticism on social media, with some questioning why highly paid CEOs, with their different job pressures, expect the same level of commitment from lower-paid employees. L&T provided a clarification, explaining that the chairman's remarks were intended to highlight the exceptional efforts needed to achieve remarkable outcomes for the nation.
"We believe this is India’s decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realize our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary effort," an L&T spokesperson said in a brief statement.
Padukone, a strong advocate for mental well-being and the founder of the not-for-profit organization The Live Love Laugh Foundation, shared the company’s statement on Instagram, writing, “And they just made it worse…” Subrahmanyan’s comments have reignited the work-life balance debate, which was initially sparked by Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy’s suggestion of a 70-hour work week.