“American investment banks want it as normal. As someone who has lived in that universe, let me say that those corporate leaders have gone nuts. There are really spikes in work where times like this “There is a need, and well-paid professionals should be willing to do that. However, making it ‘the norm’ suggests that this is some sort of goal,” he explained.
Sanyal added that the reality is that it faces issues of monitoring moral hazard in implementing and maintaining standards. “In investment banks with such a culture, professionals are just begging to do their personal work during office hours – going to the gym during office hours, having long lunches, catching up with friends called ‘meetings’ etc. City of London and the Walls This is how the street works,” the noted economist posted.
“Few sincere souls actually do the 80-hour routine and burn out. Only very senior managers can sustain 80-hour work weeks because the systems are designed to sustain them (not just salaries, but secretaries, assistants, etc.). etc.). The rest need a life,” he added.
The debate on work-life balance was first initiated by Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and more recently by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman, SN Subrahmanian. While Murthy is advocating a 70-hour work week, Subramanian advised employees to work 90 hours a week, even on Sundays, to stay competitive, sparking a wave of criticism. .
Subramanian’s remarks were condemned by Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, RPG Group Chairperson Harsh Goenka and former Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta. After facing backlash, the company said the chairman’s remarks reflected broader nation-building ambitions, “emphasizing that extraordinary results require extraordinary effort”.