'Quality of work over quantity': Adar Poonawalla joins work-life balance debate

Adar Poonawalla (Pic: X/@adarpoonawalla)

Continuing the ongoing debate on the work-hour balance, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Sunday said that quality of work is always more important than quantity.

The debate was first ignited by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and more recently triggered by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan.

While Murthy has been advocating 70-hours a week, Subrahmanyan suggested employees work 90-hour per week, even on Sundays, to remain competitive.

"Quality of work over quantity always. #worklifebalance," Poonawalla said in a post on X.

Further, echoing Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra's sentiment, Poonawalla said, "Yes [Anand Mahindra], even my wife [Natasha Poonawalla] thinks I am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays.

His comments follow Mahindra's recent remarks saying that it's not about working 48, 70, or 90 hours a week, but rather the output produced.

"My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her," Mahindra had said, taking a dig at the L&T Chairman's latest comments.

Subrahmanyan had recently said that he regretted that L&T employees weren't working on Sundays, saying, "If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also."

He further questioned, "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."

Subrahmanyan's remarks were condemned by Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, Harsh Goenka, Chairperson of the RPG Group, and former Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta.

After facing backlash, the company said the Chairman's remarks reflect the larger ambition of nation-building, "emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort".

Also Read: 'A time demanding collective dedication and effort': L&T defends chairman's 90-hour work week remarks

As per health experts, overworking can increase the risk of burnout and lower productivity at work. In addition, personal life and family relationships can also be affected by overworking. It can also affect the sleep cycle, leading to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. All this can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and early death.

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