For many corporate professionals today, work-life balance has become one of the biggest goals. Many people who move abroad often speak about how countries in Europe offer a healthier balance between work and personal life.
Now, an Indian professional based in Germany has shared his own experience of how different work culture can change productivity and daily life.
“I was working in Chaos”
In a LinkedIn post, Germany-based Indian professional Sahil Choudhary said he gets more work done in Germany in 40 hours than he did in India in 70 hours.
“I push more work in 40 hours in Germany than I did in 70 hours in India,” he wrote. According to him, the biggest difference is not the amount of work, but the way work is organised. He said that in India, discussions and meetings were often spread throughout the day, with repeated follow-ups and constant interruptions.
“In India, discussions were scattered across the day. Quick pings, follow-ups, ‘let’s sync again,’” he wrote. He added that in Germany, meetings are more focused and planned with a clear agenda. “You come prepared, close the topic there, and move on,” he said.
Respect for focus time and boundaries
Choudhary also pointed to distractions during work hours as a major issue in Indian workplaces. He said random calls, gossip, social media reels and long tea breaks often broke concentration. “In Germany, we block ‘Focus time, DND’ on our calendars. People respect that and don’t disturb you,” he wrote.
He also explained the difference in office boundaries. According to him, work in India often stretched late into the night because someone was always available online. In Germany, however, employees are generally not expected to work beyond office hours. “In Germany, no one’s expected beyond their working hours. That boundary forces you to pace and prioritise,” he said. “I realised that I wasn’t working more in India, I was just working in chaos,” he wrote.
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