There is a growing conversation online around a simple question: How much of your life should work be allowed to take? For many people, staying back after office hours, replying to messages late at night, and prioritizing work over personal time have become routine. What was once seen as going the extra mile is, for some employees, starting to feel like an expectation.Amid these discussions, a video of a Mumbai woman has caught the attention of social media users. Her message was straightforward. Setting boundaries at work should not make someone feel guilty.The woman, who goes by the Instagram name Tulip, shared a video encouraging employees to stop viewing basic workplace boundaries as a problem. Her take quickly sparked reactions from people who related to the pressures of modern work culture.
‘Be slightly problematic at work’
In the video, Tulip explained what she meant when she encouraged employees to be a little “problematic” at work.She said, “Okay, so I genuinely think that everybody needs to be slightly problematic at work at least once. Not HR-level problematic, calm down. I mean, saying no to unpaid overtime, leaving on time, not answering emails at 11:00 p.m., taking your lunch break without guilt, questioning a stupid process, and actually using your annual leaves, this problematic. Because the workplace will survive with or without you, right? And sometimes being difficult means just having boundaries in a culture that benefits from you having none. So yes, be a little problematic at work. Your mental health might actually depend on it.”
A caption that many people related to
The post’s caption carried the same message.It read, “Be a problematic employee at least once in your life. Say no to unpaid overtime. Leave work on time. Take your lunch break. Use your annual leave. Stop treating burnout like a personality trait. Sometimes being “difficult” at work is just setting healthy boundaries in toxic work culture. And honestly? More people should try it.”The caption soon became part of the discussion, with users sharing their own views on workplace expectations and employee well-being.
Social media users share their thoughts
Many people in the comments section appeared to agree with the message.One user wrote, “Simplified version: ‘Tension lene ka nahi, dene ka.’”Another user pointed out that while the advice sounds reasonable, following it is not always easy. The comment read, “It makes sense, but we just can’t do it, can we?”Several others also showed support.“Rightly said,” wrote one user.Another commented, “That’s absolutely true!”
Not everyone was convinced
Some users, however, disagreed with the framing of the message.One comment read, “People who create problems at work should remember that karma ka hisaab sirf office mein nahi hota. You may have to pay the price somewhere else in life.”Disclaimer: This article is based on content shared on social media. The Times of India has not independently verified the statements made in the video or the opinions expressed by users online. Thumb image: Instagram
