Stress is spread over our daily bread. Office work stretches beyond the eight-hour shift quite naturally. Because the sun doesn’t rise or set on it because service industries, in particular, can seldom be conveniently compartmentalised into global time zones. Back-office stress stalks the post-Covid back-to-office routine as increasing globalisation goes loco. For example, a male employee in Mumbai addresses the clients’ requirements in a Manhattan-set timeline. The man from Matunga now competes with someone from Madurai, Madrid or Mexico. Outsourced work crosses geographical borders and time zones. And the red-eyed corporate traveller catering to the western multinational corporation (MNC) is accompanied today by the India-based, blurry-eyed work-from-home/call-centred colleague. This trend is entrenched and extended as shrinking western economies seek new bases and bigger markets in Asia. And India.