Sanjeev Sanyal Criticizes Calls For Longer Work Hours, Calls It ‘Silliness’

Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), has sharply criticized the recent push by corporate leaders for longer work hours, calling it ‘silliness.’ In a social media post on Sunday, Sanyal expressed his disagreement with the growing trend of advocating for 80-hour work weeks, particularly in the corporate sector.

Sanyal pointed out that “American investment banks want this as a norm,” adding, “Looks like the 80-hour work week thing has caught on.” While he acknowledged that there are times when long hours are necessary, he emphasized that normalizing such extreme work schedules is problematic.

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“As someone who has lived in that universe, let me say that corporate leaders have gone into silliness,” Sanyal stated. He further explained that while certain industries, like investment banking, may require such hours during peak times, setting this as a standard implies it’s a target to be met, which he views as unrealistic.

He went on to highlight the pitfalls of enforcing such a culture, suggesting that it often leads to inefficiency. “In investment banks with such culture, professionals just begin doing their stuff in office hours—go to the gym, long lunches, meetings with friends dubbed as ‘meetings’,” he added, referencing practices seen in financial hubs like the City of London and Wall Street.

Sanjeev Sanyal also noted that only senior managers can truly sustain such demanding work weeks, as they benefit from support systems such as secretaries and assistants. For most professionals, he argued, a balanced life outside of work is necessary to avoid burnout.

This debate on work hours was sparked by statements from prominent business figures, including Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan. Murthy had suggested a 70-hour work week, while Subrahmanyan recently proposed a 90-hour week, including Sundays, in the name of remaining competitive.

Subrahmanyan’s comments were met with significant backlash from various public figures, including Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, industrialist Harsh Goenka, and former badminton star Jwala Gutta. While L&T later clarified that the Chairman’s remarks were meant to reflect a broader vision of nation-building, the criticism has underscored growing concerns over work-life balance in India’s corporate sector.