Indian employee of UK firm gets 15-day holiday for Christmas, New Year. Post sparks debate on work culture

The post, which surfaced three days ago, highlighted the sharp contrast between holiday policies in Indian and Western companies.

As the festive season approaches, companies worldwide, particularly in the West, have announced extended holiday breaks for employees. A recent social media post has ignited a lively debate over the stark differences in holiday policies and work culture between India and abroad.

An Indian employee working for a UK-based company revealed that his organisation had declared a 15-day holiday to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Vivek Panchal, who shared the details on X (formerly Twitter), posted a screenshot of a message from a colleague informing him about the company-wide holiday until January 6.

“Hello Vivek, from Monday it’s holidays till Jan 6th, for Christmas and New Year,” read the message in the screenshot. Sharing this, Panchal called the extended break a perk of working for a British firm. He wrote, “Benefits of working in a UK-based company.”

The post, which surfaced three days ago, highlighted the sharp contrast between holiday policies in Indian and Western companies. It quickly gained traction, with many Indian professionals expressing frustration at the lack of similar holiday breaks in Indian organisations.

A user commented, “Not only the UK but all Western countries follow this. Only India and some Asian countries follow the client-first attitude and 24×7 work culture.”

Another user took a swipe at Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, referencing his recent controversial remarks advocating for a 70-hour workweek. They quipped, “Narayana Murthy in a parallel universe.”

Other comments reflected on the limited holiday allowances during Indian festivals. One user lamented, “Reality of India, Diwali pe sirf ek din ki chutti (Reality of India, only one day of leave on Diwali).”

Highlighting the work expectations faced by many Indian employees, another user said, “You work for an Indian company, so you don’t get US holidays. Your client is from the US, so you don’t get Indian holidays either.”

Not all responses were critical, though. Some users expressed a different perspective on the situation. One wrote, “Oh look at you go! Same here buddy! I love the opportunity to WFH during this busy Christmas period!”