Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal backs 70-hour work week. Gets called out again

Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has once again expressed his support for 70-hour work weeks and highlighted that the first time he backed the idea - when Infosys Chairman Narayana Murthy put forth his views on the matter - he was trolled for it. It is just that Bhavish has once again been called out for what is widely regarded as an unhealthy professional practice.

Speaking at a recent event held at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Bhavish explained why he believes 70-hour work weeks are essential. “When Mr Murthy said that (70-hour work week), I was publicly in support of that and I got trolled on social media for that. But, I don’t care because I have a strong belief that one generation will have to do tapasya… so that we can build the number 1 country in the world, the largest economy," he said. Bhavish would further explain that work-life balance can be automatically achieved if someone loves his or her work. "I don’t agree with the work-life balance concept because if you are enjoying your work, you will find happiness in life also and work also, and both of them will be in harmony."

Previously, it was Narayana Murthy who had asserted that the young population of India needs to complete 70-hour work weeks to ensure the country can compete against economies that have progressed quickly in the past two to three decades. It is this that Bhavish has backed and backed once again.

Premature death?

Medical experts have time and again warned against long work hours that can result in various ailments and even cause serious illnesses among individuals. Taking to social media channel X, Dr Sudhir Kumar from Hyderabad was one such medical professional who called out Bhavish for his views. In his tweet, Kumar pointed to scientific studies which have found working for more than 55 hours a week can lead to higher chances of stroke and ischemic heart disease when compared to working up to 40 hours a week.

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal backs Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week advice: Do you agree?

What do the scientific studies show?
➡️Working 55 or more hours per week is associated with a 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared… pic.twitter.com/Lb18PP6RAZ

— Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (@hyderabaddoctor) July 11, 2024

Other on X have also pointed to how top officials of companies often tend to make the mid-level or junior-level staff pull in long hours to achieve extremely ambitious targets.

In the past, several former Ola Electric employees have pointed to a toxic work culture in the company. This is a claim that the company has denied even as it - and Ola Cabs - has lost many of its employees to resignations.

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