Crosspost from sameer.

IT Survivors - Staying Alive In A Software Job - JAVA J2EE PORTAL

This is what the software world in India is. Inspite of the head honchos claiming employee satisfaction I can't, for a second, concede that any software company in India really does look after its employees. Yes, these powerhouses have made a huge impact on where India is today but at the cost of many unnoticed lives. An appreciation or an award cannot put these lives back on track. They are mere band-aids that will won't last a single day.

I agree I am in a slightly better position. I learnt by burning my fingers. And fortunately, I am not fleeced by my managers and I am not forced to spend every living moment hunched before a computer.

IMHO, the core problem in is that the managers never stand up for their team. A manager shouldn't manage just his project or margins. His primary responsibility is the team who are anyway the ones that can make or India break his project. But somehow, I don't think managers in India realise that.

The employee himself/herself is not clean of any blame, though. They don't stand up for themselves too. Show me one employee who can say "No" and I'll show you a happier-than-average software professional. I haven't gotten around to that completely yet, but I do say "No" when in need. Well, most of the time.

Ofcourse, some of my opinions are based on what I see around me here in the UK. I can confirm that the work culture is infinitely more employee-friendly than what we have back at home.

Sorry state of affairs and it doesn't look like this is going away in a hurry.