Indian techie in Poland explains work-life balance gap with Europe's office culture
Pradeep Pankaj Singh compared his decade in India's IT sector with four years working in Poland in a video shared online. His account of shorter hours, overtime pay and fewer after-hours calls drew strong reactions about work culture.
A video shared by an Indian IT professional, Pradeep Pankaj Singh, has reignited conversations around work culture differences between India and Europe, after he compared a decade spent in India’s tech industry with his four years in Poland.
In the clip, Singh reflects on what he describes as a deeply ingrained culture of long working hours in Indian IT workplaces. He recalls that during his ten years in India, a standard office day rarely ended before 6–8 pm, even when employees arrived by 8 or 9 am.
Leaving on time, he says, often carried a silent social penalty, with colleagues and managers subtly questioning those who exited earlier than the rest.
He explains that even after completing a full shift, there was an unspoken expectation to stay longer, and employees were often observed for how late they remained in the office.
“If someone left at six after a full day, it would immediately draw attention,” he notes in the video, adding that this behaviour felt routine across workplaces in the sector.
Drawing a contrast with his current experience in Poland, Singh says the structure and expectations are markedly different. According to him, the workday is strictly limited to eight hours unless an employee voluntarily chooses to extend it.
He adds that managers do not typically expect staff to remain beyond scheduled hours, and work-life boundaries are more clearly respected.
Watch the video here:
He also highlights that any additional hours worked are compensated at significantly higher rates, describing overtime pay as substantially higher than regular wages. Another key difference he points out is after-hours communication. While calls beyond office time were common in India, he says such contact is rare in Poland and not socially or professionally enforced.
“If a manager does call outside working hours, it is entirely optional to respond,” he says, adding that employees are not penalised for not picking up. On the contrary, responsiveness outside office time is often appreciated rather than expected.
The video, captioned as a comparison of “10 years in India vs 4 years in Poland,” has sparked widespread discussion online, with viewers divided over whether India’s evolving corporate culture is keeping pace with global work-life balance standards.
A video shared by an Indian IT professional, Pradeep Pankaj Singh, has reignited conversations around work culture differences between India and Europe, after he compared a decade spent in India’s tech industry with his four years in Poland.
In the clip, Singh reflects on what he describes as a deeply ingrained culture of long working hours in Indian IT workplaces. He recalls that during his ten years in India, a standard office day rarely ended before 6–8 pm, even when employees arrived by 8 or 9 am.
Leaving on time, he says, often carried a silent social penalty, with colleagues and managers subtly questioning those who exited earlier than the rest.
He explains that even after completing a full shift, there was an unspoken expectation to stay longer, and employees were often observed for how late they remained in the office.
“If someone left at six after a full day, it would immediately draw attention,” he notes in the video, adding that this behaviour felt routine across workplaces in the sector.
Drawing a contrast with his current experience in Poland, Singh says the structure and expectations are markedly different. According to him, the workday is strictly limited to eight hours unless an employee voluntarily chooses to extend it.
He adds that managers do not typically expect staff to remain beyond scheduled hours, and work-life boundaries are more clearly respected.
Watch the video here:
He also highlights that any additional hours worked are compensated at significantly higher rates, describing overtime pay as substantially higher than regular wages. Another key difference he points out is after-hours communication. While calls beyond office time were common in India, he says such contact is rare in Poland and not socially or professionally enforced.
“If a manager does call outside working hours, it is entirely optional to respond,” he says, adding that employees are not penalised for not picking up. On the contrary, responsiveness outside office time is often appreciated rather than expected.
The video, captioned as a comparison of “10 years in India vs 4 years in Poland,” has sparked widespread discussion online, with viewers divided over whether India’s evolving corporate culture is keeping pace with global work-life balance standards.
