Indian Woman Shares Work Culture Shocks On First Day At Italian Office: "Makes You Never Want To Leave"

An Indian IT professional recently detailed her first-day experience in an Italian office, sparking a wide array of reactions. Taking to Instagram, the woman, identified as Jyoti, highlighted several cultural differences that left her pleasantly surprised. Jyoti observed that by 6:01 pm, the office was completely empty. She remarked that calling or messaging colleagues after official hours is treated almost like a "crime."

When she addressed her boss as "Sir," her colleagues laughed and encouraged her to use his nickname, stating, "In Italy, we're all equals." She was also told to avoid "code talk" during coffee breaks and instead discuss personal topics like holidays. Unlike several workplaces, her office does not track exact clock-in or clock-out times. As long as work is completed, employees are free to manage their own schedules.

Her manager and colleagues acted as "cheerleaders," encouraging her to learn from mistakes without fear of repercussion. Her manager even refused to let her pay for her own coffee on her first day.

"Stressed about my Italian - they didn't judge; they became my teachers while we debugged code. Stayed silent about my weekend - My manager wanted to see holiday photos, not just Jira tickets. Thought it was ‘just a job'- Realized office hours are for building a family. They see the person, not just the developer. The culture shock in Italy is real, but it's the kind that makes you never want to leave," she wrote in the caption of the post. 

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The post sparked a wider discussion online about work-life balance, with many users contrasting these experiences with the late-night calls and rigid hierarchies common in Indian IT sectors. Many called her lucky to have landed in a workplace that respects personal time, well being and teamwork. 

One user wrote, "That's a dream!! You are just lucky enough to have found a nice place."

Another said, "Being Italian … this shocks me too! I've been in three differently companies and this is not the Italian standard. They checked when u enter and leave the office; bosses do not ask u about ur weekend, lucky you."

"This is the work culture most of us dream about but rarely get," stated a third. 

However, some users disagreed, saying their experiences in Italian offices were quite different and not as pleasant like the woman described. 

A fourth person commented, "Such a biased and totally not realistic view of workplace in Italy. Although I never worked in Italy and left when I was 24 after my degrees, I know for a fact that 90 of workplaces in Italy are the opposite of what stated in this post."