Recently, companies like Ernst & Young India (EY India) and Bajaj Finance have been in the spotlight for their work culture. In one case, Anita Augustine blamed EY India for putting too much work pressure on her daughter, Anna Sebastin Perayil, which led to her death. In another incident, Tarun Saxena, who worked for Bajaj Finance, committed suicide due to overwhelming work pressure. These events have sparked a debate about work-life balance.
Amid this, a video of Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has gone viral, where he speaks against taking weekends off, leading to heavy criticism on social media.
We Used to Have Only One or Two Days Off a Month
In the viral video, Bhavish Aggarwal states that he doesn’t agree with the modern idea of work-life balance. He mentions that Saturday and Sunday holidays are not part of Indian tradition but are influenced by Western culture. He says that earlier in India, there were no regular weekend holidays. People took one or two days off each month according to their own calendar. The concept of weekend holidays came after the industrial revolution and is no longer needed in today’s time. He also mentions that in the past, people didn’t demand a holiday after working five days a week.
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Social Media Backlash Against Bhavish Aggarwal
Many people on social media are not happy with Bhavish Aggarwal’s views. They expressed their frustration, saying he speaks English, wears Western clothes, and uses Western technology. One user commented that because of people like him, India hasn’t progressed as much. They added that companies want robots, but we are humans. Another user sarcastically remarked that soon salaries will be considered a Western idea, and companies will start offering just food and a place to sleep. Another called it hypocrisy, pointing out that while clients are from the West, the holiday culture is expected to be Indian.
