A US-based employee has sparked an online discussion about the demanding work culture in America after sharing his experience of joining “one of the biggest companies” in the country. Posting on Reddit under the title ‘Started a corporate job, shocked at the work culture – people start working at 6-7am’, the anonymous user described the US corporate culture as “intense” and “never-ending”.
“I recently started a corporate job at one of the biggest companies in the U.S. I knew it would be demanding, but I didn’t realize how intense the work culture would be,” the employee wrote. He went on to explain how their colleagues seem to start their day before sunrise. “People on my team start working super early — they’re already sending emails and Slacks first thing in the morning at 6-7am before even driving to the office,” the post read.
The Redditor admitted that their own routine is more conventional. “Personally, I just wake up, get ready, and start work once I actually arrive. But it feels like I’m the odd one out for not being “on” before the day even begins,” he wrote.
Further, he said that the workday doesn’t end at 5 pm either. “It doesn’t stop there either. Many of them keep working really late at night, still sending Slacks and emails around 9–11pm. It’s honestly stressing me out. I’m not as enthusiastic about the job as they seem to be, but I also feel pressure to keep up so I don’t end up with bad performance reviews or even risk being laid off,” the Reddit user continued.
The user concluded his post with a question. “Just out of curiosity, how common is this kind of culture in corporate America? How should I navigate this situation?” he asked.
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Social media reactions
The post quickly gained traction online, sparking various reactions. While some shared similar experiences of burnout, others pointed out that the pressure to appear “always available” has become an unspoken expectation in many industries, especially in competitive workplaces.
“I work 8 hours spread out over 16 hours each day. Just cuz you got something from me at 8 am then again at 10 pm doesn’t mean I worked that entire time. In fact, it’s probably a sign I didn’t work enough during the day due to appointments, exercise, house work, f**king off, etc,” shared one user.
“Before you freak out too much, find out if this is an expectation or if these people are seriously looked at by other people as way overdoing it. Or perhaps some of them start really early and leave early while others start and end their days really late,” suggested another.
“Yea the US is horrible to work in. The terrible work culture and complete lack of work life balance are why I never moved back, once I got got lucky after studying across with a job and got a taste of what civilized countries got as employees there was no going back to that nightmare in the US even if it pays slightly more it’s simply not worth it,” expressed a third user.
