Techie faces cultural shock in Germany, learns a useful career lesson. Boss scolded him just for replying to work email

Discussions about work culture, long hours, and work-life balance often surface on social media, especially when professionals compare experiences across countries. A recent post by entrepreneur Aditya Kondawar has sparked a similar debate online after he shared an interaction with an IT professional who moved from India to Germany but continued working for the same company.

The story quickly caught attention because it highlighted how workplace expectations can change dramatically depending on geography, even within the same organisation. For the employee in question, the shift in culture became clear after a simple act — replying to an email on a weekend — led to an unexpected reaction from his manager.

When replying to an email became a problem

In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Kondawar described meeting an IT professional who earlier worked in India, where long hours and constant availability were often seen as part of the job. According to the account, managers encouraged employees to stay connected almost all the time, including weekends.


Kondawar wrote: “Met a IT professional, he was working in India before. The managers encouraged him to work 24*7 and on Weekends too. Now he is in Germany, he replied to an email on a weekend. His manager pulled him up and scolded him for replying to a work email on a weekend. He says work cultures in same company but different geographies is poles apart!”

The anecdote surprised many readers because it showed how expectations around work and personal time can shift sharply once someone moves to a different country.

The sharp contrast in work culture

As the post began circulating online, several professionals shared their own observations about how work culture differs from one region to another. Many said that the same role inside the same company can come with very different expectations depending on the country where the employee is based.


One person wrote: “Work culture really does vary a lot by geography. Same company, same role, completely different expectations about boundaries and personal time.”

Another user pointed out that economic priorities also influence workplace habits. He wrote: “Germany optimizes for balance. India optimizes for ambition. Both systems reflect what their economies prioritize”


Some responses also explored the structural reasons behind these differences. One user commented: “The contrast isn't just about hours; it's about the cost of labor. In India, many firms treat human capital as an infinite, low-cost resource to solve every delay. Germany prices it differently. They view weekend work as a management failure that erodes long-term output. High-output cultures protect their downtime to ensure Monday is productive. Don't mistake activity for progress.”

Other users explained that in several European workplaces, working on weekends is not treated as a sign of commitment. Instead, it can indicate that something went wrong with planning or workload management.

Some users also said that in certain roles, employees who are required to remain available on weekends are compensated for it, even if they do not actually end up working.