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Journalism of Courage
A video shared by an Indian chartered accountant living in Europe has set social media abuzz, showing something that many back home rarely see, an office empty by 5 pm. Posted on Instagram by user ‘livewithjyoti’, the clip displayed rows of vacant desks and workstations, with not a single employee lingering after office hours.
Titled “Corporate shock,” the video quickly went viral, leaving viewers in India both amused and a little envious. In a country where long hours and late evenings are often considered the norm in corporate life, the sight of people leaving on time came across as almost surreal.
What stood out for many was not just that employees left promptly at 5 pm, but that the workday itself ended so early compared to India’s extended office hours.
The post sparked a lively discussion on work culture abroad. Several users contrasted the European approach with India’s often grueling schedules. “Just bring one Indian manager here everything will change,” said one viewer. Another shared, “My uncle moved to Sweden 10 years back and never returned to India again. He said his working time in India was 9-7 but it came to 10-5 pm including 1 hour of lunch breaks. He built his home there itself and settled happily.”
Some comments reflected on the mindset back home: “Ider toh 5:10 ko logo ko sab kaam yaad aata h and then they will act as if they are the most hardworking employee (Here, people remember all the work at 5:10 pm, and then they act as if they are the most hardworking employees).” Others appreciated the lifestyle difference: “They are actually living the life and job is just a part of it, in India we are living for job and everything comes after it.”
One user wrote, “That’s cause the work that’d be left after 5 pm is outsourced to the Indian IT services.”
