Bengaluru: A content creator took to LinkedIn to share how her perspective about 9-5 jobs changed after she experienced the work culture in Europe. The woman stated that initially her Dutch boyfriend did not understand why she gave up her 9-5 job.
Writing her experience down on LinkedIn, Soni Saloni wrote, “My Dutch boyfriend never understood why I quit my 9–5 job to be a full-time content creator. I spent this summer in Europe, and I finally get why.” She further explained how a full-time job in Europe was different in comparison to India.
Bengaluru woman quits 9-5; praises European work-life balance
“In summer, the entire nation is doing nothing. People are soaking under the sun, picnicking with friends, tattooing, making music, painting, skinny dipping,” said Saloni in the post. She added, “They work to live and not live to work, like in the movie Emily in Paris. For my European friends, overtime is always compensated. A 9–5 job doesn’t stretch till midnight, or they may raise complaints with management.”
The woman stated that 9-5 in India meant working weekends and even quoted the controversial statement made by the L&T chairman. Concluding her post, Saloni wrote, “In a culture with poor work-life balance and lack of respect, we hide under the veil of productivity. Creativity and strategic thinking are drying up. Are we just working for the sake of working here?”
LinkedIn users quickly commented on the woman’s post. They agreed with her observations. One wrote, “The Dutch gave the world an amazing concept called Niksen — the art of doing nothing. It worked wonders for me in my own life and now I coach people to adopt the same. Thanks for sharing this, Soni.” Another stated that they were able to resonate with post. “Completely resonate with this. Living to work versus working to live is such a big mindset difference,” wrote one.