Indians have NO Work Life Balance, Office Calls after 9 PM, says Australian Woman

An Australian woman named Bree Steele, who has been living in India since 2023, recently shared her thoughts on work-life balance in India. In a video posted on Instagram, Bree explained that she noticed many middle-class and wealthy Indian households rely on domestic workers for daily chores like cooking and cleaning. According to her, the main reason behind this is the lack of work-life balance among Indian professionals.

Long Working Hours in India

Bree pointed out that many of her Indian friends receive work-related phone calls as late as 9:30 p.m. She believes that such long working hours leave people with very little time or energy to manage household responsibilities. In her words, “There’s no work-life balance here. The pressure on corporate workers is so intense that if you’re single, it’s hard to manage your own cooking and cleaning.”

Domestic Help Is Common and Affordable

She observed that most Indian households, especially in the middle and upper classes, have house help who take care of cleaning, cooking, and laundry. Bree mentioned that she does not do chores herself in India because help is easily available and affordable. “In India, chores? I don’t know them,” she joked in her video.

She added that cheap labour is one reason why so many families can afford to hire domestic workers. This is quite different from western countries, where people usually handle all household tasks themselves—even while working full-time jobs.

Life in the West vs India

Bree compared the lifestyle in India with that in western countries like Australia. She said that in the west, most people manage their own chores after work, even though they have busy jobs. “In the west, we do everything ourselves,” she said.

However, she acknowledged that professionals in India often work longer hours, making it difficult to do everything on their own. That’s why hiring help becomes a practical option for many.

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Mixed Reactions on Social Media

Bree’s video started a discussion online about the differences in lifestyle between India and the west. Some people agreed with her observations, while others shared different opinions.

One commenter wrote that this situation is a result of income inequality, poverty, and poor regulations in India. Another user said that people in the west may not spend as much time cooking as Indians do, and often rely on packaged or ready-to-eat meals.

A person who moved from India to a western country shared their experience, saying, “Even though I do all my chores here, I still have more free time and a healthier lifestyle compared to my life in India with all the domestic help.”

Others also mentioned that India is a dusty country where floors need to be cleaned every day, which adds to the workload—making house help almost a necessity.

Conclusion

In the end, Bree admitted that she felt a bit “ashamed” of how much she enjoyed not having to cook or clean in India. Her honest observations have sparked a broader conversation about working culture, daily life, and socio-economic differences between India and western countries.