'Corporate Shock': Indian CA's Video Of Empty European Office By 5pm Goes Viral

Work-life balance is a hot topic in India, but a recent viral video from Europe has reignited the conversation. Jyoti Saini, an Indian chartered accountant currently working with KPMG Netherlands, shared her candid “corporate shock” moment on Instagram, giving people a glimpse into her life abroad.

Check out the viral clip below:

In the now-deleted video, Saini filmed her office in the Netherlands shortly after 5:10 pm. What caught her attention and over 2 million online was the complete emptiness of the workplace. Desks and chairs were vacant, and she was one of the last few left behind.

Since being shared, the clip has gone viral across platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where it has amassed views. While Saini has since taken down the post, the conversation it triggered around work culture refuses to die down.

Internet reacts

Social media users weighed in heavily, highlighting the stark contrast between European and Indian corporate practices. One user praised the discipline abroad, writing, “The best part is that after office hours, if your boss or client needs to talk, they first text to schedule a call.”

Another pointed out economic and cultural differences: "Domestic help costs nearly the same as her wage bill in the west unlike the country of birth. No wonder the concept of “Time Is Money” is not that well established as yet in some jurisdictions."

Many also compared productivity: "Lol...Indians spend half their work hours on social media. Europeans, atleast where I work, hardly get distracted during work hours. I am in the design department, & none touches their phone during work hours. Their 8 hrs work is 8 hrs, our 8 hrs in office is hardly 4 hrs work."

One user noted, “Here, four hours go in meetings, one hour lunch, two hours chai breaks, and 20 minutes of politics talk. That’s why we sit late nights and weekends.”

Others highlighted systemic issues: "Indians kam nahi karte , 7 hours daily hardwork is more than enough .......lekin fir Politics , unnecesaary PPTs , Boss ki chatna , iski uski chugli karna , Less manpower , more leaders ..ye sab reasons hain."