The post quickly gained traction on Reddit, where users commented on the perceived cultural gap between workplaces in India and parts of Europe.
An exchange between an India-based employee and his Europe-based superior has drawn widespread attention online, after a late-night work update prompted an unexpected response urging the employee to stop working, triggering broader discussions about workplace expectations and boundaries.
The incident came to light through a post shared on Reddit, where the employee uploaded a screenshot of a conversation with his company’s Director of Sales. The individual explained that he oversees sales and operational responsibilities for a European business that his organisation had recently acquired, requiring regular coordination across time zones.
According to the post, the employee had sent a routine update to his manager, stating: “It’s still in process but I’ll share it with you once I receive it from marketing team.” The message was sent late at night from India, as the company was reportedly in the midst of a significant deal that required extended working hours.
In response, the Europe-based executive drew attention to the time difference, asking: “It’s already close to midnight for you, isn’t it?”
When the employee confirmed that it was indeed well beyond his usual working hours, the manager replied: “So it’s time to stop working,” accompanied by a smiley.
The exchange, described by the employee as unexpected, was shared with a longer note outlining his experience of working with international colleagues. He wrote: “We recently acquired a company in Europe and I look after sales and its operations from here to help them. Their Director of Sales, likes me for the potential I have, really motivates me, pushes me and gives tips; today as someone who loves my job, I was speaking to him on an important deal, and instead he replied to me with this.”
The employee added that the company’s policies and regulatory environment surrounding work were “crazy nice”, suggesting a stark difference from more demanding professional settings he had previously encountered.
He also noted that while he was personally invested in his work and willing to stay engaged late into the night due to the importance of the deal, the manager’s response reflected a contrasting approach to working hours and employee wellbeing.
The post quickly gained traction on Reddit, where users commented on the perceived cultural gap between workplaces in India and parts of Europe, particularly regarding expectations around availability outside formal working hours.
Several users praised the manager’s intervention. One comment read: “I love what they have built as a culture- they don’t care if their profit tank. But they definitely care about their work life balance.” Another user questioned when such practices might become more common locally, writing: “When will I see this in India?”
Others shared similar experiences from international workplaces. One user remarked: “A European manager once said that we’re not saving lives, we are saving excel files, it can wait.” Another added: “I worked with some of the clients in Europe and they respect boundaries on another level, initially it was cultural shock for me, wish Indian corporates learn something from them.”
The discussion has added to ongoing conversations about professional expectations in India, where long hours and after-hours communication are often seen as routine in several sectors. By contrast, many European workplaces operate under stricter labour frameworks that emphasise defined working hours and employee rest periods.