Something for the weekend: Working culture typically varies depending on where in the world employees are based. This is what an Indian software engineer experienced after relocating to Germany, going from what he described as a demanding and often unsustainable work culture, to the more employee-centric environment in which he now works.
Kaustav Banerjee’s Instagram post on the topic, where he detailed his experience in India’s technology sector, went viral.
He said that at the start of his career, he was unaware of the concept of work-life balance, because it is common in Indian workplaces for employees to “give 200%” and end up being burnt out due to employer expectations. If employees do not do this, they could risk falling behind.
Banerjee went on to say in the video: “Nobody cares about your wellbeing, your health. Your family is not even in the picture! Nobody cares what you are going through, how you are feeling. You need to keep on delivering at high speed.”
The engineer then added that paid annual leave was a formality to satisfy labour laws and “just for show.” He explained that employees have to work on weekends if the project requires and that applying for leave is akin to “asking your manager for his or her kidney.” Sounds rather concerning!
Banerjee then goes on to describe his move to Germany, where he saw a much better workplace culture and numerous good elements to workplace culture.
The post sparked an online discussion and received plenty of comments, with one user commenting: “Great journey, bro.”
Another added: “Absolutely, Indian workplaces are full of toxicity and negativity. You’re lucky to be living a happier life abroad.”
A third user wrote in reference to Banerjee’s statement about struggling to get leave approval from his managers: “I really liked the fourth point about asking for leave.”
Another said: “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to ‘kill’ my grandparents, who passed away decades ago, just to get leave that’s rightfully mine.”
Sounds like his work-life balance, wellbeing and employee experience vastly improved after relocating!
