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After 10 years in India, Indian man in Poland says he has never worked beyond 8 hours in Europe
An Indian man compared India and Poland’s IT work culture, saying Europe offered better work life balance.
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An Indian man working in Poland has sparked a discussion online after comparing the work culture in India with that in Europe.
(Also read: Polish woman in India for 10 years reveals 3 things other countries should copy: ‘Services, attached bathrooms, MRP’)
Pradeep Pankaj Singh, who said he worked in India for 10 years before moving to Poland, shared his experience in a video posted on Instagram.
In the clip, Singh said that long working hours were common during his time in India, especially in the IT industry. He recalled that leaving office at 6 pm was often viewed negatively, even after nearly 10 hours of work.
(Also read: Indian man in Poland shares work benefits beyond salary: ‘Flexible hours, paid leave, good work life balance’)
“In India, I worked in India for 10 years, and then I came here. In those 10 years, I never saw a situation where if we go to the office at 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM, we would ever leave before 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, or 8:00 PM. Especially in the IT industry,” he said.
He added, “And if we ever left at even 6:00 PM after working for almost 10 hours, or anyone who is currently working in India will be able to relate to this, if we left, everyone would look at you like, ‘Brother, are you leaving already?’”
‘Not a single day over 8 hours’
Comparing it with his experience in Poland, Singh said he had not worked beyond eight hours on any day unless he chose to do so. He also claimed that managers in Europe do not usually expect employees to stay back after office hours.
“But in Europe, in any country, and I am especially talking about Poland because I have been living here for 4 years, it’s different here. To this day, there hasn’t been a single day where I have worked for more than 8 hours. If you want to sit and work longer by your own choice, you can, but your manager will never ask you to sit back,” he said.
Singh further said that whenever he worked extra, he received proper overtime payment. “Overtime is very high here, you get more than 2 times the regular salary, 200%. So, you get that much money,” he said.
Calls after office hours
He also spoke about calls after office hours, saying that it was common in India for managers to call employees even after work ended. However, according to him, the situation is different in Poland.
(Also read: Polish woman stunned after spotting Indian biker carrying over 20 chairs: ‘In India, everything is possible’)
“Here, if a manager calls you, first of all, they will never call you out of office hours. But even if they do call, and you don’t pick up, no one can say anything to you. And if you do pick up, you will be highly appreciated for it,” he said.
The video was shared with the caption, “Work life comparison with real time experience in IT 10 years in India vs 4 years in Poland.”
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The clip drew several reactions from users. One user wrote, “This is exactly why people don’t want to come back once they experience a healthy work culture.” Another said, “In India, leaving on time is still treated like a crime.” A third commented, “Work life balance should not be a luxury, it should be normal everywhere.” Another added, “Work life balance should be a basic right, not a luxury.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
