Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi bats for 47.5-hour work week, no weekend e-mails

Capgemini India's chief executive Ashwin Yardi

IT services company Capgemini India's chief executive Ashwin Yardi on Tuesday advocated 47.5 hours of work per week, and was against sending e-mails to employees on weekends amid the debate on working hours.

Ashwin Yardi commented on Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum (NTLF) while replying to a question on the ideal time to be put in by an employee per week, "Forty-seven and half hours. We have about nine hours a day and five days a week." "My guiding principle for the last four years is don't send an e-mail on a weekend even if it is an escalation unless you know you can solve it on a weekend," he added as reported by news agency PTI.

Yardi said he desists from sending e-mails to employees, as there is no point just to give "grief" to an employee knowing well that the work cannot be done on a weekend. Ashwin Yardi however acknowledged that sometimes he does work on weekends,

Nasscom's chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan, who also leads German tech major SAP's India operations, said outcomes should matter more than the work. Fast-moving consumer goods company Marico's chief executive Saugata Gupta also spoke in favour of outcomes, and added that he does send e-mails at 11 pm as well.

It can be noted that IT industry leader and Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy has been pitching for a 70-hour work week, while EPC major Larsen and Toubro's Chairman S N Subrahmanyan called for a 90-hour work week.

Earlier, Yardi said that given the demographic profile of IT workers, it is very important for organisations to adapt to the expectations of the younger employees and listed out strategies they are adopting.

It can be noted that IT industry leader and Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy has been pitching for a 70-hour work week, while EPC major Larsen and Toubro's Chairman S N Subrahmanyan called for a 90-hour work week.