Techie gets fed up with having to attend client calls at 11:00 pm. Netizens advice: 'Push back, or…'

A young software professional recently took to the subreddit Developers India to share his frustration about his manager scheduling client meetings late at night. He explained that after being assigned to a new project, his manager—who works from the United States—started arranging daily sync calls that kept getting later with each passing day. What initially began as 9 p.m. meetings soon shifted to 10 p.m., and before long, they were fixed at 11 p.m. every night.

The employee, who had joined the company only a year ago as a fresher, confessed that he was unsure how to address the matter. While he acknowledged the challenge of working across time zones, he felt that holding recurring meetings so late at night was unreasonable.

It wasn’t a one-time occurrence but a regular schedule that began to affect his routine and rest. Seeking advice from the online community, he asked whether such timings were normal for professionals dealing with US-based clients and whether raising the issue with his manager could be perceived as an early-career misstep. He also wanted to know how others managed such situations without appearing unwilling or uncooperative.

Reddit’s Advice
The post quickly drew attention, with several users offering suggestions and personal experiences. One commenter advised him to initiate an open conversation with his manager and request a mutually convenient schedule. The user explained that most clients are often willing to adjust meeting times once the issue is raised politely. However, many employees tend to accept inconvenient timings without question. The commenter added that late-night calls were acceptable only in rare cases—such as discussions with senior executives whose schedules are restrictive. Otherwise, all work-related communication should ideally conclude by 9 p.m. They also suggested that the employee negotiate flexible start hours if such late meetings continued, ensuring he did not have to work excessively long days.

Another user responded with a more cynical tone, referring to such situations as part of the “Indian IT circus.” They noted that it was common for professionals working with US clients to face odd-hour meetings, though one could try requesting an earlier slot—perhaps around 7 p.m., at the start of the US workday. The commenter, however, doubted whether such requests would be accommodated, citing bias and systemic issues in the industry. Their parting advice was firm: push back against unreasonable scheduling, and make your availability clear in public work channels so that it cannot be overlooked or dismissed.