Are 100-hr workweeks worth it? Edelweiss CEO Radhika Gupta shares her story

Edelweiss CEO Radhika Gupta has shared 5 vital lessons on work-life balance, debunking 100-hour workweeks and emphasising sustainable success and personal well-being

As debate around extreme work hours intensify, Edelweiss CEO Radhika Gupta has added her voice to the conversation. Amid recent calls from corporate leaders for longer workweeks, Gupta's thoughtful perspective is striking a chord: "Hard work is a choice."

 

In a LinkedIn post, Gupta shared a personal story of her early career, working 100-hour weeks for four months straight. "Eighteen hours a day, one day off (and not Sunday - I got Monday off because I had to be at a client on Sunday)," she revealed. But far from glorifying this experience, Gupta candidly admitted that much of it was unproductive, emotionally taxing, and even led to hospital visits. 

 

Here are the five key points Gupta made about work, productivity, and well-being:

 

1. Hard work matters, but it's not everything

 

Gupta acknowledged that hard work is crucial for success, but emphasised it isn’t the sole ingredient. “I also believe the person who works harder will rise faster. Great careers, achievements, and companies are the results of a lot of hard work,” she wrote. However, she stressed the importance of sustainability, noting that consistent effort—not burnout—is the foundation of true success.

 

2. Ambition and hard work are personal choices

 

Not everyone wants to climb to the top of the corporate ladder, and that’s okay, Gupta said. "Not everybody has to aspire to be a CEO or founder with a mega exit. I know many people who have chosen the path of a less demanding career because time off from work matters to them. No judgments.

 

3. Long hours don’t equal productivity

 

Reflecting on her own 100-hour workweeks, Gupta questioned the value of extreme hours. “I may have been at work for 100 hours, but I was not productive in those," she admitted, adding that many of her peers in consulting and banking faced similar situations.

 

Gupta advocated for smarter, not longer, working hours. “Many developed nations work 8–4 but ensure those hours are productive. Come in on time, bring your best, have only necessary meetings, and use technology to be effective.”

 

4. Success requires balance

 

Hard work alone doesn’t guarantee success, Gupta argued. Achievements must align with personal well-being and family priorities. “Family and mental health cannot be absent from this. Otherwise, we will build a world of anxiety and breakdowns, early heart attacks, unhappy marriages, and absentee parenting,” she said.

 

5. Success shouldn’t come at the cost of well-being

 

Gupta’s final takeaway was a reminder that hard work is a personal decision, not a universal mandate. Balancing work, family, and mental health is key to a fulfilling life.

 

Gupta’s reflections come in the wake of divisive remarks by industry leaders. L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan recently suggested he’d have employees work Sundays if he could, advocating for a 90-hour workweek. Earlier, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy called for a 70-hour workweek, fuelling a broader debate about work-life balance.