'There Are No 9-To-5 Jobs In Mumbai’: Viral Reel Sparks Debate Over Work Culture & Long Commutes In The City

Mumbai: Questions have been raised about the reality of Mumbai’s “9-to-5” work culture after Instagram user shared a viral reel highlighting the long working hours and exhausting daily commutes faced by employees in the city.

According to the video shared by instagram user 'tulipintheflow', the creator argues that while companies officially advertise eight-hour workdays, many employees are effectively expected to spend nine hours or more at the workplace, with lunch breaks and short breaks often added to their total working hours. She further claims that leaving office on time is often frowned upon, while overtime culture has become normalised across several workplaces.

“Most companies want you to come by 10 and leave minimum by 7,” she says in the reel, adding that employees are often indirectly pressured into working beyond office hours without extra compensation.

However, the reel goes beyond workplace timings and touches on what many Mumbaikars consider the bigger issue: commuting.

According to the creator, even people living within a 5 to 10-kilometre radius of their office spend nearly 45 minutes travelling due to traffic congestion. For those residing farther away, daily travel can stretch to nearly two hours each way.

“So in Bombay, there are no 9-5 jobs. All jobs are 12-plus hour jobs,” she says in the video, referring to the combined burden of office hours and long commutes.

The reel has triggered widespread discussion online, with many users agreeing that work-life balance in Mumbai has become increasingly difficult due to traffic, overcrowded public transport and long office cultures. Several users shared personal experiences of spending over four hours daily travelling to and from work, especially those commuting between distant suburbs and business districts.

Mumbai, often referred to as the financial capital of India, is known for its fast-paced lifestyle and demanding corporate culture. But the viral reel has once again reignited conversations around burnout, unpaid overtime, commuting stress and the growing need for healthier work-life balance in urban India.

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