We need to talk about this.
The culture that celebrates being the last to leave the office. The manager who thinks shouting is management. The "we are like family here" companies that fire you by text. The expectation that your job owns not just your working hours but your evenings, weekends, and self-respect.
I have worked in three organisations across different sectors. In every one of them, the unspoken rule was: your personal life is your problem, your professional output is our property.
I have watched colleagues break under this. I have very nearly broken under this. The burnout, the anxiety, the depression that nobody names — it sits right at the intersection of work culture and the pressure of just existing in Nigeria right now.
And the worst part is that when people speak up, they are called uncommitted, sensitive, or soft. Asking for a boundary becomes evidence of not being a team player.
I'm curious what others have experienced and how you have navigated this — whether from the employee side, or from a manager trying to do things differently. What does protecting your mental health at work actually look like in this context?