Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan has come under fire following his 90-hour work week remark. Following the controversy, it has been revealed that his substantial salary for the fiscal year 2023-24 totalled Rs 51 crores. This figure, reported by The New Indian Express last year, is 534.57 times the median salary of L&T employees, which was Rs 9.55 lakh.
According to the report, Subrahmanyan’s remuneration package included a base salary of Rs 3.6 crore, Rs 1.67 crore in prerequisites, and a commission of Rs 35.28 crore. Additionally, he received retirement benefits amounting to Rs 10.5 crore, culminating in a significant total.
Subrahmanyan’s salary saw a significant increase of 43.11% compared to the previous year, raising questions about the company’s pay structure and work culture, the report mentioned.
90-hour work week
The chairman’s remarks during a recent employee interaction have ignited a backlash, particularly his suggestion that employees should work 90 hours a week. In a video that surfaced on social media, Subrahmanyan expressed frustration over the inability to make employees work on Sundays, stating, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays.” He further questioned what employees do during their time at home, implying they should be working more.
His comments have drawn widespread criticism, with notable figures such as actress Deepika Padukone and billionaire Harsh Goenka voicing their disapproval. Many social media users echoed this sentiment, highlighting the disparity between Subrahmanyan’s earnings and the average employee’s salary.
His remarks earned him a comparison with Narayana Murthy. Not only this, users also mentioned that the L&T chairman would never say such a thing in relation to employees working in geographies other than India.
“And here I’m thinking L&T is a good company, seems like everyone’s following Narayana Murthy’s footsteps,” a user commented. A second user said: “I was there in this townhall yesterday. *** wants us to work for 90hrs per week. NEXT NARAYAN MURTHY!!!”
“So unfortunate, we have such business leaders. I think we must call them “leaders in baby diapers”. I had a few close friends who worked at L&T Madras. About 10 years ago. Going by what they said about the work culture, I felt it was like an adults’ kindergarten (sic),” a third user commented.
In response to the uproar, an L&T spokesperson stated, “At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. The Chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort.” The company reiterated its commitment to fostering a culture driven by passion, purpose, and performance.