'Sutta Breaks’ And Leaving On Time Resulted In Job Loss: Reddit User’s Story Ignites Debate On Toxic Work Culture At Start-ups

The employee alleged that their employer accused them of having an "attitude problem" and not being "down to earth" shortly after they started

The post generated strong reactions online, with many condemning the company for its purportedly toxic practices

Source : Pexels

A Reddit user from Gurgaon claims in a post on the social media platform that he was fired from a start-up just 20 days after joining simply for taking a break and leaving the office on time. The viral post, which is now circulating on social media, has sparked conversations about work-life balance and toxic work cultures in startups. 

The employee alleged that their employer accused them of having an "attitude problem" and not being "down to earth" shortly after they started.

No groups Please

In the viral Reddit post, the former employee shared how they were discouraged from building friendships at work. "Me and two other new joinees used to go for tea and smoke together sometimes, and suddenly, my employer had a problem with it. He told me, ‘Don’t create groups, it’s not good for the company.’”

Got terminated recently from my job
byu/False-Echidna8747 indelhi

The user also described how their employer took issue with them leaving the office on time. “He started having problems with me leaving at exactly 7 pm. ‘This is not good,’ he said. But my shift was over, and I had finished my work,” the post stated.

Work From The Director's Cabin

The tipping point reportedly came when the employee was asked to work from the director’s cabin. "On the 20th day, the director asked me to work from his cabin instead of my desk and said, ‘For some days, you’ll be working here only.’ Who does that? I still agreed, but at 7 pm, I was looking outside to check if my friend had left for our usual end-of-day tea break. The director got frustrated and asked HR to terminate me on the spot."

The Reddit user claimed they had filed a complaint with the labour commissioner. They also alleged that the company recorded their termination discussion without their consent while preventing them from doing the same. "When I tried to record, the director mocked me, saying, ‘Over smartness gayi nahi abhi?” he added.

Netizens Reaction

The post generated strong reactions online, with many condemning the company for its purportedly toxic practices.

“It's great that you left the place, That's called Toxic Work environment, Dimag ka dahi and mental peace ki amma bhen hone se bach gaye!” wrote one of the Reddit Users.

"The only thing you should do in such situations is become a typical Delhi guy, fuck that guy and fuck his job and fuck his company. Figuratively and literally. Name and shame the company. Let the truth be out. A company can only exist if its employees are good enough, without employees no company can last, and guaranteed the company you worked in will fall into pieces sooner or later," wrote a second user.