“Your colleague got promoted, and now your mom’s worried about your marriage. Welcome to Indian workplace envy!
This isn’t a joke, but a reality for most Indian professionals.
62% of Indian employees experience work-related burnout, while the global average is just 20%.
That’s 3 times higher, and it’s not because we work harder or care more about our jobs.
It’s because workplace success in India is never just about you.
When your colleague gets promoted, here’s what actually happens:
⇨ Your parents compare you at family gatherings
⇨ Relatives start questioning your “”career choices””
⇨ Your marriage prospects get discussed over chai
⇨ Your social standing takes a hit
In Western cultures, your coworker’s promotion is their personal win. You feel jealous, maybe frustrated, but life moves on.
In India, it becomes a family crisis.
This is why office politics feels so brutal here.
Research shows that workplace envy in India significantly predicts both toxic behavior and people quitting jobs. The psychological damage is real.
The problem isn’t that we’re jealous people. The problem is that we’ve created a culture where individual success reflects on entire families.
So next time someone at work gets promoted and you feel that pit in your stomach, remember three things:
→ Set boundaries with family conversations about your career
→ Celebrate others’ wins without letting it define your worth
→ Focus on your own growth timeline, not comparison metrics
The first step to handling workplace envy is understanding why it hits so hard in the first place.
Have you ever felt the pressure of workplace comparisons spill into your personal life?”