Ola CEO Advocates 70-Hour Work Week; Doctor Warns Of Severe Health Risks Including Premature Death

A leading neurologist criticized Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal’s endorsement of a 70-hour work week, highlighting the numerous health risks associated with extended working hours. Dr. Sudhir Kumar pointed out that long hours are linked to higher risks of stroke, depressive symptoms, being overweight, prediabetes, and even premature death.

What Bhavish Aggarwal Said

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal supported Infosys founder Narayana Murthy’s recommendation of a 70-hour work week in a recent podcast. He stated that he is not a proponent 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 criticized Aggarwal’s advice, emphasizing that only CEOs benefit from employees working long hours.

Dr. Kumar summarized several scientific studies into four key points revealing the health risks of working over 55 hours a week. In his post on the social media platform X, he urged individuals to choose companies that prioritize employee well-being.

 

He noted that “more than 800,000 people die every year due to working for more than 55 hours a week.”

Long working hours are linked to a higher risk of being overweight, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, stroke, ischemic heart disease, moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and 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 advising employees to choose organizations that prioritize their well-being over profits.