Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a leading Indian multinational conglomerate, has been receiving increasing feedback from its employees on Glassdoor, with many of them citing poor work-life balance as a significant con of working with the company. These reviews, which have accumulated over the years, continue to surface, with the most recent comments appearing in 2025. As employees share their experiences, concerns regarding long working hours and insufficient personal time are becoming more pronounced.
Employee Reviews on Glassdoor
Glassdoor, a popular platform where employees can anonymously rate and review their companies, has more than 700 comments from L&T workers mentioning “poor work-life balance.” The reviews often describe long hours, high stress, and a lack of adequate time for personal activities outside of work.
Recent reviews posted in January 2025 reflect ongoing dissatisfaction with the company’s work culture. A post from January 9 stated, “No work-life balance, a lot of office politics.” Another review from January 7 mentioned, “Very low salary and poor work-life balance,” while a comment from January 5 described the company as having “zero work-life balance.” These remarks echo similar sentiments shared in earlier reviews, indicating a recurring issue within the organization.
While some comments date back as far as 2017, the concerns about work-life balance seem to have intensified in recent years, particularly in 2025, with multiple workers highlighting it as a consistent drawback of the company.
Controversial Remarks from L&T’s Chairman
The influx of negative comments about work-life balance coincides with controversial remarks made by L&T Chairman, SN Subrahmanyan. In an undated video that surfaced online, Subrahmanyan openly expressed his desire to increase the working hours of his employees. He stated, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays.” His comment sparked outrage on social media, particularly due to its dismissive tone regarding the personal time of employees.
In the video, Subrahmanyan further questioned, “How long can you stare at your wife?” as part of his push to encourage employees to work longer hours. He also referenced an interaction with a Chinese individual who claimed that China could surpass the United States due to the longer working hours in China, which often extend to 90 hours a week. Subrahmanyan compared this to the American workweek of 50 hours, suggesting that more working hours could potentially give L&T an edge in the global market.
Employee Discontent Amid High Expectations
Subrahmanyan’s remarks came under fire for appearing to trivialize employees’ personal lives and promote an unhealthy work culture. Many employees who have voiced their concerns about work-life balance on Glassdoor have highlighted the strain of long hours and unrealistic expectations. For those in the workforce, the expectation to work 90-hour weeks, as suggested by the chairman, seems unreasonable and detrimental to both mental and physical well-being.
Despite these concerns, employees have also pointed out several advantages of working at L&T, including professional growth opportunities and exposure to large-scale projects. However, the persistent issue of poor work-life balance continues to cast a shadow over the overall work environment.
Conclusion
L&T employees’ reviews on Glassdoor shed light on an ongoing issue within the company: the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. With a growing number of workers sharing their frustrations over long hours and insufficient personal time, the company may face increasing pressure to address these concerns.
The recent comments, coupled with the chairman’s controversial remarks advocating for longer work hours, underscore the tension between achieving high productivity and fostering employee well-being. As these conversations unfold, it remains to be seen how L&T will respond to the growing dissatisfaction and whether it will implement changes to improve its work culture.
