SHORT WORKING HOURS KEY TO HEALTHY LIFE

26-year-old EY employee Anna Sebastian's death in July 2024, allegedly due to overwork highlighted unhealthy work-life balance, stress due to unrealistic expectations, a lack of support, and a toxic work culture.

- DR P.S.VENKATESH RAO

Entrepreneur NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys suggested that "young people should commit to working 70 hours a week for India to be competitive". In a LinkedIn post, Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, wrote: put in the 18hour days for at least 4-5 initial years of your career, prioritize work over leisure activities, and focus on professional development. L&T chairman SN Subramanian added fuel to the fire suggesting employees work 90 hours, seven days a week.

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal dismissed work-life balance as a Western idea and dedication and perseverance are essential for achieving our goal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects 80 to 100hour weeks consistently to increase the chances of success. He said "There are easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week." China's "996" work schedule of working 9 to 9 six days a week, was termed a "tremendous opportunity" by Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba. He encouraged those truly dedicated and passionate about their careers to consider extended work hours as a privilege.