New Delhi, January 11: After Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s suggestion of a 70-hour work week created a debate, L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan has drawn attention with his recent comments. SN Subrahmanyan proposed a 90-hour work week. Emphasising working on weekends too, Subrahmanyan said, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? He wants his employees to work on Sundays. He mentioned that he also works on Sundays.

The 90-hour work week debate has generated discussions about work-life balance, mental health, and employee well-being. RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka and Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj have reacted to L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s recent suggestion of a 90-hour workweek. Goenka said, "Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept?" Rajiv Bajaj said, "It is a very big problem when all the big talk happens at the top but the implementations start from the bottom, which is unfair.” Apart from that, do you know which country has the longest and shortest working hours for its employees in the world? L&T Chairman Subramanian’s 90-Hour Work Comment Faces Backlash From Deepika Padukone, Harsh Goenka and Others, Company Calls Remark As Ambition of Nation-Building.

Countries With the Longest and Shortest Working Hours in the World

Some countries are recognised for their extensive working hours, while others prioritise to maintain a balance between work and personal life. Here, is a list of the countries with the longest and shortest working hours globally. Around the world, working hours differ from one country to another. Bhutan ranks as the country with the longest average weekly working hours. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), employees in Bhutan work an average of 54.4 hours each week.

According to the World Population Review's report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks as the second country with the longest average work week in the world, with employees working an average of 52 hours per week. Lesotho, a Southern African country, ranks third in the world for the longest work week, with an average of 49.5 hours worked per week.

On the other hand, Syria holds the shortest work week, with employees averaging around 25.3 hours per week. Yemen follows closely behind as the second country with the shortest work week, with an average of 25.4 hours. The Netherlands ranks third for the shortest work week, with an average of 26.7 hours. 90-Hour Work Week Debate: ‘Let It Start From the Top’, Says Rajiv Bajaj on L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s Proposal; Asks Companies To Focus on Quality of Hours (Video).

These are general trends and can vary depending on the specific industry and individual roles. But Where does India stand? As per a report of Business Today, India ranks 13th among the world's most overworked countries, with its workforce has an average of 46.7 working hours per week.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2025 03:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).