Work-life balance is often promised in corporate jobs, but sometimes it feels like a joke. The irony is that “flexibility” in global companies sometimes means adjusting your life entirely to fit someone else’s schedule.
An Indian employee recently highlighted this struggle on Reddit, sharing how a 5 am call with US clients disrupted his routine.
“5 am client meeting: The true face of corporate life in India,” the caption of the post reads.
The Redditor (@No_Guide_4276) described the situation as the kind of “flexibility” often expected in corporate India. While flexible hours sound appealing in theory, in reality, employees frequently sacrifice sleep and personal well-being to match the schedules of clients in other countries.
Exhausted and undervalued:
According to the post, the employee questioned whether being constantly available for international clients should come at the cost of personal health and sleep.
“I have to wake up at 4:30 am (because apparently, being late is illegal in corporate India) to please a client who’s lounging comfortably in their cushy office in the US,” the Redditor adds.
He expressed frustration at the expectation to function like a “caffeine-powered machine,” juggling multiple tasks while adjusting to different time zones.
“This is the life of an Indian employee in a global corporate world: exhausted, undervalued, and running on fumes,” the post adds.
Reddit reacts:
Reddit users reacted strongly to the post, with many sharing their own experiences of sleepless nights and early morning calls for international clients.
Some empathised with the frustration of sacrificing personal time, while others debated whether such demands are a fair part of global corporate work.
One of the users commented, “Anytime I see the word ‘rotational shift’ in a job description, my reaction is always that I’d rather be paid less.”
A second user commented, “Better than being jobless at least.”
“You aren’t supposed to survive this because you are replaceable,” another user commented.