Controversy Over Indian CEO's Remark: "New Employees Should Work 18 Hours a Day... It's Too Early to Pursue 'Work-Life Balance'"

Dashpande "New employees have to work 18 hours a day until they reach 4-5 years of experience"
Statement contradicting the 'Quiet Resignation' culture

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[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] A CEO in India is facing criticism for saying that "new employees should work 18 hours a day."

According to a recent report by the British BBC, Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) in India, wrote on his social media the day before, "If you got a job in your 20s, actively commit to that work," and "New employees should work 18 hours a day until they become at least 4 to 5 years experienced."

CEO Deshpande said, "It is too early for young new employees taking their first step into society to pursue 'work-life balance,'" adding, "The first five years determine the future. If you work diligently without complaining about your situation and accept it, you will move forward."

This post quickly spread online and sparked controversy. Amid the recent emergence of the term 'Quiet Quitting' among the MZ generation, his remarks were criticized for going against the trend. Quiet Quitting means doing only the required work and nothing more.

Netizens who saw the post responded, saying, "It could rather lead to burnout from overwork," "This is no longer an industrial era where productivity is proportional to time," and "Now I understand why your company’s employees quit," criticizing him for promoting a toxic workplace culture that justifies long working hours.

Previously, Narayana Murthy, co-founder of the Indian IT company Infosys, made a similar statement. In 2020, he suggested that Indians should work at least 64 hours per week for 2 to 3 years to compensate for the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, which also sparked controversy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.