SOURCE : NEW18 NEWS
Last Updated:January 10, 2025, 17:39 IST
Rajiv Bajaj says ‘the top leadership needs to reflect on what they need to do better because again as someone said the bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle’.
Rajiv Bajaj says the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of work hours is more critical than mere the number of hours.
After L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan reignited debate on the work-life balance after proposing 90-hour work week for employees, Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj on Friday joined the discussion and said the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of work hours is more critical than mere the number of hours. He also said people are already putting in 12 hours a day on the job if commute hours are included.
In an interaction with CNBC-TV18, Bajaj stated, “Putting in enough work is obviously important, whether it’s 70 or 90 hours. But what matters more is the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of those hours. I think that is more critical than just the number of hours.”
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Bajaj also highlighted the realities of modern work routines, noting that most people are effectively working 12-hour days when commute times are included. “Irrespective of who you are and what you do in a company, you are effectively working 12 hours a day if you consider your commute and time on the job. That’s about half your day,” he said.
He argued that employees’ current commitments are already substantial. “So, if people are putting in 12 hours a day even today on the job, I think that’s considerable and then I would find it difficult to believe that that is what is limiting companies from being competitive. I think the top leadership needs to reflect on what they need to do better because again as someone said the bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle,” Bajaj said.
Bajaj’s comments came in response to a viral video of L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan, where he proposed a 90-hour work week and questioned the value of time spent at home with family. In the video, which first circulated on Reddit, Subrahmanyan is seen saying, “How long can you stare at your wife?” He also expressed regret over not being able to mandate work on Sundays, stating, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays.”
