Indian vs European office life compared: Man shares 5 surprising workplace differences after moving to Sweden. 'Won't feel you're in office'

An Indian man living in Sweden has gone viral after sharing a video comparing office culture in Europe with the kind of workplaces many employees are familiar with in India. The clip, posted by Sanketh Banik on Instagram, gave viewers a tour of a corporate office in Sweden and highlighted several differences in the way workplaces are designed there.

From open seating spaces and bean bags to free snacks and massage chairs, the video quickly caught attention online, especially among people discussing work-life balance and corporate culture.

In the video, Banik said, “I am an environmental consultant and I have recently come to Sweden, Europe. Today I am going to show you how European offices are very different from our Indian offices. Like all offices, there are desks and chairs for employees here, but the environment here is such that you won't even feel like you're in an office.”


He captioned the clip, "Corporate offices in Europe are just so good. And work-life balance is actually a thing over here."

Here are the five workplace differences he pointed out in the clip.

1. Offices are designed with open spaces instead of cubicles

According to Banik, one of the first things that stood out to him was the absence of traditional cubicle-style office layouts. Unlike many Indian offices where employees often work in fixed desk spaces, the Swedish office shown in the video appeared more open and flexible.

Explaining the setup, he said, “That is, the setup of their offices is not like cubicles at all. Here in the office, they have kept bean bags and stylish and cool table chairs, so that hardcore office feeling never comes.”

The video showed different seating arrangements spread across the office rather than rows of closed workstations.

2. Casual seating areas are part of the workspace

Another thing Banik highlighted was the use of relaxed seating arrangements inside the office itself. Bean bags, lounge chairs and informal work corners were visible throughout the workplace.

The idea, according to him, is to make employees feel comfortable rather than making the office look too formal or strict. Several viewers online also noted that the office looked more like a creative co-working space than a typical corporate building.

3. Employees can even work from staircase seating or outdoor areas

The video also showed stair-style seating spaces where employees could sit and work during the day. Banik explained that workers were not restricted to desks alone.

“And especially here, stairs are made where people sit and work, and if they feel like it, they can also work outside,” he said.

The clip briefly featured open areas where employees appeared free to move around depending on how they wanted to work.

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A post shared by S A N K E T H B A N I K (@sankethbanik)

4. Free snacks and candies are available for everyone

Food and snacks inside the office became another talking point from the video. Banik mentioned that unlimited candies were available for employees and that evening snacks were provided regularly.

“And you will get free unlimited candies like this, which anyone can take as much as they want. And you also get Swedish style snacks here every day in the evening,” he said.

This part of the video received a lot of reactions online, with many social media users saying such facilities are still uncommon in several Indian offices.

5. Stress-relief spaces include massage chairs and games

Banik also showed relaxation areas equipped with games and massage chairs. According to him, these spaces are meant to help employees unwind during stressful workdays.

“And if you are more stressed, you can also find massage chairs and many games here. So this is how Europe's corporate offices are,” he added.

The video was shared with the caption, “Corporate offices in Europe are just so good. And work life balance is actually a thing over here.”