Sonu Sood: Staff Stand 10-12 Hours; Give Them a Seat

Sonu Sood is asking airport authorities, lounge operators and hotels to make one small change: give staff who spend 10 to 12 hours on their feet a place to sit when the work allows. In a post on X, the actor argued that seating should be a standard feature at customer-facing counters, not a special favour.

The ask: a seat at every counter

The appeal names the workplaces where the gap is most visible: airport counters, lounges, hotel reception desks and service desks. Sood wants a high stool or proper seating arrangement to be part of those stations, so employees can sit and rest whenever work permits.

He described the current reality in simple terms. Staff spend long shifts welcoming and serving guests, often on their feet for 10 to 12 hours. From the customer’s side, the effort can be invisible because the service still looks warm and polished.

• Airport check-in and service counters
• Airport lounges
• Hotel reception desks
• Service desks across the hospitality sector

Rest as dignity, not a perk

At the centre of Sood’s message is a question: should the industry that exists to make guests comfortable offer the same consideration to the people who deliver that comfort? He framed rest as “a basic matter of dignity, compassion and humane working conditions,” and added that “a little rest is not a privilege.”

That question exposes a reciprocity gap: an industry built on making people feel comfortable can forget the people who deliver that comfort.

That framing matters. Hospitality is usually about warmth, care and attention. Sood’s appeal asks operators to apply the same values internally, not only in front of the customer.

Why the message travels

The appeal is easy to picture and cheap to act on. Most travellers have seen a receptionist or counter agent standing through a long queue. A high stool or sit-stand station is a relatively simple fix, which makes the demand feel practical rather than symbolic.

There is also a service-quality argument. Fatigue shows up in mood, attentiveness and consistency. If a brief rest during a long shift helps an employee stay sharper, the change can be an operational improvement as much as a welfare one.

What hospitality managers can do

For airport and hotel teams, the appeal translates into a quick review: identify the roles that stand longest, test sit-stand options where safety and movement allow, and make seating part of the shift plan instead of a favour granted by a supervisor.

The same lens suggests a few guardrails: don’t treat rest as a reward for a few, don’t assume standing equals attentiveness, and don’t leave the decision to the mood of a manager on duty.

The filmi work front

On screen, Sood is currently working on the upcoming film Nandi. His last release was the 2025 action thriller Fateh, which also marked his directorial debut.

Source: The Times of India