L&T's FY24 annual report reveals chairman received Rs 51 cr pay amid backlash over 90-hour work week comment
L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan faces backlash for advocating 90-hour workweeks, with his Rs 51 crore salary package and comments on working Sundays sparking outrage and debate on work-life balance.
FollowL&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's recent comments advocating for 90-hour work weeks have sparked widespread criticism on social media. The controversy has been further fueled by the revelation that Subrahmanyan received a total compensation package of Rs 51 crore in the last financial year, according to L&T's FY24 annual report.
The report breaks down Subrahmanyan's compensation into Rs 3.6 crore as base salary, Rs 1.67 crore in prerequisites, Rs 35.28 crore in commission, and Rs 10.5 crore in retirement benefits. This staggering amount is more than 500 times higher than the average salary of a regular L&T employee, which stands at Rs 9,77,099 for males and Rs 6,76,867 for females.
Subrahmanyan's comments on work-life balance have been met with outrage, particularly after a video surfaced showing him promoting working Sundays. In the video, he remarks, "I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also." He further adds, "What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working."
Actress Deepika Padukone has been among the many critics of Subrahmanyan's comments, sharing her disapproval on Instagram and writing, "Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements." She also included the hashtag #MentalHealthMatters in her post.
L&T has since issued a statement attempting to clarify Subrahmanyan's remarks, saying, "At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate... The Chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort." However, Padukone has responded to the statement, saying, "And they just made it worse…"
The controversy has sparked a wider debate about work-life balance and the expectations placed on employees. With Subrahmanyan's comments and L&T's response, the issue is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
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