Techie compares work-life balance in India and Sweden: 'Indians wear late hours like badge of honour'

Despite the entrenched hustle culture in India, Ankur Tyagi expressed optimism for the future.

Ankur Tyagi, an Indian tech professional who relocated to Sweden in 2021, has drawn comparisons between the work culture in India and the European nation, highlighting significant differences in employee well-being and professional expectations.

Tyagi, a graduate of Lucknow’s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University and a former software engineer in India, shared his observations in a post on X (formerly Twitter), responding to a lawyer’s remarks about workplace expectations.

Work-life balance in India:

Reflecting on his years in the Indian tech industry, Tyagi described a work environment steeped in hustle culture, where long hours and late nights were normalised. He recounted examples of colleagues sleeping in offices and managers routinely working from 9 AM to 10 PM without fail.

“In India, last-minute product deployment is never considered a problem because ‘client is God,’” Tyagi wrote. He explained that the high competition in the tech sector perpetuates this culture of overwork. “In India, we’re so many people in tech, hence so tough competition. If you don’t do it — there are 10,000 people in line, so most of us don’t have a choice,” he noted.

Back when I started in tech in India, grinding late hours was worn like a badge of honor.- I had a manager who wouldnt leave to home before 10:00 PM and always come to office at 9:00 AM sharp- last min prod deployment on the name of client is god.- even my team members https://t.co/eJyVYLYUye
Ankur(@TheAnkurTyagi) November 14, 2024

This glorification of relentless work, Tyagi added, often comes at the expense of personal time and family. “Hustle culture was so ingrained that I barely questioned it — sacrificing personal time and family moments without a second thought,” he said.

A different perspective in Sweden:

Tyagi’s move to Sweden introduced him to a contrasting professional environment, where work-life balance and employee well-being are prioritised. “Here, people simply drop a Slack message to adjust their hours, and no one doubts their commitment,” he shared. Tyagi now works as an independent consultant, assisting tech companies, and has observed that Swedish organisations operate on trust and mutual respect.

“There is an understanding that a balanced life leads to better work,” Tyagi remarked, describing the work culture in Sweden as a “whole new world” compared to his experiences in India.

This cultural shift, he noted, was initially surprising. “It’s the kind of balance I never thought I could ask for,” he stated, acknowledging that in India, he had accepted the lack of work-life balance as the price for career growth.

Hope for change

Despite the entrenched hustle culture in India, Tyagi expressed optimism for the future. He commended Indian Gen Z professionals for challenging toxic workplace norms that glorify overtime and undervalue personal time.

Social media users responded in numbers to Tyagi's post with varied reactions. "My sister works tirelessly for approx 11 hours daily in the office, even working on weekends sometimes. Her office culture is more like a cult than hustle. She literally cries just in case we ask her not to go to work on weekend," a user wrote.

Another user commented, "This would be true if Gen Z used the additional time to actually decompress with hobbies or passions, not get more depressed doomscrolling in their free time. It's important to understand what really causes stress and how to actually deal with it, rather than just working less."

"Gen Z seems to have the perfect mix of hustling and knowing about WLB," a third user remarked.