Sanjiv Puri, chairman of cigarette-to-consumer conglomerate ITC, has also weighed in on the ongoing 90-hour work week debate. Puri said in a recent interview that it's more important for employees to align with the company's vision of excellence than hours.
His comments come amid intense debate over L&T chairman SN Subramanian's claim that employees should work a long 90-hour work week.
If a mason is asked what he is doing, he may say that he is laying bricks, another may say that he is building a wall, but some may say that he is building a castle. Workers should have that vision,” he said. In an interview to PTI.
Asked if this meant he preferred not to put in hours, Puri said: “We don't do that.”
Furthermore, Puri explained that it is important to empower employees with the company's vision and goal.
“We take part in the vision and want to contribute to making the vision a reality. And we bring vitality through our processes, through the resources we provide, through the freedom to act, through the empowerment we provide. There are very distinct and very clear goals for individuals to achieve, and these are the fundamentals we look at.”
To make matters worse, Subraman said he regretted that employees could not work on Sundays. An undated video of the chairman making this statement went viral on social media.
He also questioned the need for employees to spend time at home. “What are you doing sitting at home? How long can you look at your wife, how long can the wife look at her husband?”
Commenting on the viral video, Puri said: “I know he (Subrahmanian) has been in a lot of controversy, but I'll tell you the scene you look at it.”