A top neurologist slammed Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal’s call for a 70-hour work week, pointing out the many health risks associated with working long hours. Dr Sudhir Kumar said that working long hours has been linked to higher chances of stroke, depression symptoms, risk of being overweight and prediabetic and even premature death.
What Bhavish Aggarwal said
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal backed Infosys founder Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week advice in a recent podcast. He said he is not a supporter of the concept of work-life balance.
“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,” said the 38-year-old CEO of Ola Cabs.
“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,” he added.
An expert’s take
Senior neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar took a not-so-veiled dig at Aggarwal’s advice, noting that employees working long hours only benefits the CEO.
Dr Kumar condensed several scientific studies into four points that reveal the many health risks of working more than 55 hours a week.
In his post shared on the social media platform X, he urged people to choose companies that care for their employees.
He said that “more than 800,000 people die every year due to working for more than 55 hours a week.”
Long working hours are associated with a higher risk of being overweight, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, higher risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease, moderate to severe depressive symptoms and even premature death.
“So, it is clear that working long hours is associated with increased risk of multiple serious diseases and even premature death,” wrote Dr Kumar.
“CEOs are inclined to recommend long working hours for their employees to improve their company’s profits and their own net worth. If employees fall sick, they can be ‘easily substituted’,” he added.
the Hyderabad-based doctor concluded his post by saying it is in the best interest of employees to choose organisations that put their well being above their own profit.
Omprakash Tiwary is a business writer who delves into the intricacies of the corporate world. With a focus on finance and economic landscape. He offers readers valuable insights into market trends, entrepreneurship, and economic developments.
