A software engineer asked Reddit users for advice after his manager began scheduling daily client calls at 11pm. His post struck a chord with fellow IT professionals, which sparked discussion on unhealthy work-hour expectations in global projects.
The techie, who shared his experience on ‘r/DevelopersIndia’ under the title “Manager scheduled daily client calls at 11 PM — is this normal or should I push back?”, said he had recently been moved to a new project where his manager, based in the United States, had begun setting late-night sync calls.
“I recently got allocated to a new project, and my manager (who’s based in the US) has started scheduling daily client sync calls really late at night,” he wrote, adding, “Initially, it was around 9 PM for a couple of days, then it got moved to 10 PM, and now suddenly it’s 11 PM every night.”
The techie added that, as a fresher with just a year of experience, he was unsure how to deal with the situation. “I understand the time zone difference, but having a recurring call that late every night feels a bit unreasonable,” he said, adding, “Should I talk to my manager about it or will that be seen as a bad move this early in my career?”
Take a look at the viral Reddit post here:
Reddit users had a lot to say about it. “Speak with your manager and ask them to discuss it with the client. Most clients are open to adjusting timings if we bring it up. If it’s an occasional call with a C-level executive, it’s fine, but regular late calls are not sustainable,” said a user.
Another user added, “Welcome to Indian IT circus. If the client is in the US, late calls are common, but you can suggest moving them to 7 PM. Still, it’s unlikely the manager will change it. The bias in time zones is real.”
Several users shared their own experiences working with international clients. “I work with teams in Australia, the UK, and the US. Sometimes, you just need to plan your day differently—start later, take proper breaks, and ensure you don’t exceed 8–10 hours overall,” said a user.
Meanwhile, others pointed out that setting boundaries was key to maintaining work-life balance. “It’s perfectly okay to communicate your limits professionally,” said a user, adding, “No job should require you to stay up every night for meetings.”
As the discussion unfolded, Reddit users agreed on one thing — adapting to global time zones shouldn’t mean compromising personal well-being. For many in India’s IT sector, the post echoed a familiar reality: the struggle to balance client expectations with healthy work hours.
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