‘Are you living or just working?: Marine techie's post explains why Norway's work culture feels like a dream to Indian employees

Conversations about the contrast between India’s long, demanding work schedules and the more flexible routines seen across Western nations tend to resurface every few weeks. This time, the spark came from Norway, courtesy of an Instagram video by Indian marine tech professional Sachin Dogra.

In his post, Dogra explained that most companies in Norway follow a 7.5-hour workday using a simple system: Core Hours + Flexible Hours. Core Hours are when the team is expected to be available for meetings and collaboration. Flexible Hours allow employees to finish the rest of their work whenever it fits into their day — early morning, late evening, or after picking up their kids or completing daily tasks.

“This gives people the freedom to plan their work around their life, not the other way around,” Dogra wrote, adding that this mindset is a major reason why Norway consistently ranks among the world’s happiest countries.

Reflecting on the philosophy of work, he added: “Work is important — but it isn’t supposed to be your entire life. Sometimes, all you need is a reminder to pause and ask yourself: Are you living… or just working?”

 

 

The video quickly drew thousands of reactions, with many viewers using the comments section to reflect on their own work environments. One user wrote, “Have worked in Norway and enjoyed their work–life balance.”

Another commented with a hint of frustration, “Indian government/labour laws said this is AI 😢.”

A third urged Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy to take note: “Kindly take a moment to watch this video — there’s something to learn from Norway.”

Others responded with sweeping comparisons between Europe and India’s work ethos. One comment that drew hundreds of likes read, “People in Europe live… we just survive in India.”