Tragic death of EY employee from Pune sparks debate over Narayana Murthy’s comment on ‘70-hour week’

Death of an EY employee in Pune: The tragic death of a 26-year-old EY employee from Pune has shocked everyone. The heartbreaking letter from the victim's mother, in which she says her daughter is overworked and overwhelmed, has sparked a debate on work-life balance. Now, Narayana Murthy's statement on the 70-hour work week has come to light again. First, let us recall what Murthy said:

Narayana Murthy said:

In a conversation with former CFO of Infosys, Narayan Murthy said that youth should work at least 70 hours a week to increase the country's labour productivity. His statement sparked a debate on social media, with some supporting it and many opposing it.

The tragic death of an employee in Pune has sparked a discussion about the right work-life balance in the corporate world and the overwork of professionals.

The tragic death of an EY employee in Pune reminds people of Narayana Murthy’s controversial statement on the “70-hour work week”

— Amrita Bhinder 🇮🇳 (@amritabhinder) 19 September 2024

Here is a comparison between the EY incident in Pune and Narayana Murthy’s comment

CA Rishika explained on X: “While EY is being pilloried, many people in the past have glorified overtime and overwork. Does anyone remember Narayan Murthy's comment on the 70-hour work week?”

This comment sparked a discussion on X. One user commented: “You raised an important point. While recent events at EY are shocking, it is very important to recognize that the same thing is happening in many companies.”

Another added: “Getting your work done on time and finishing work is a crime in today's business world.”

Another user added: “I was wondering why no one has pointed this out before. Mr. Murthy should be held equally accountable and responsible for this.”

“Although no one can replace the loss suffered by the 26-year-old's family, we are trying to provide the family with all the help we can from our side,” the company said in a statement about the tragic incident.

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