Startup Employee Collapses After Verbal Attack By CEO, Alleges Toxic Work Culture

According to the post, the employee endured over half a year of constant mental strain under a “non-tech micromanaging” CEO who imposed extreme work expectations

Still coping with the emotional fallout, the Redditor said he experiences flashbacks from that meeting

Source : ABPLIVE AI

A junior data scientist at a Bengaluru-based tech startup has alleged severe mental trauma and hospitalisation due to months of “vindictive behaviour” by the company’s CEO and its HR department, even after he resigned. The experience, shared anonymously on Reddit, has since gone viral, drawing attention to toxic workplace dynamics within India’s startup ecosystem.

According to the post, the employee endured over half a year of constant mental strain under a “non-tech micromanaging” CEO who imposed extreme work expectations and routinely subjected him to verbal abuse. “He would micromanage everything, impose unrealistic deadlines, and yell constantly,” the Redditor wrote. If the CEO found any explanation unsatisfactory, particularly in technical discussions he didn’t understand, “he would completely explode.”

The data scientist described these confrontations as “full-scale screaming sessions” where he was humiliated both “professionally and personally.” He believed he was deliberately targeted, citing his quiet demeanour and physical appearance as perceived weaknesses.

Unrelenting Workload And Resignation

The employee reported working 12–14 hours daily, including weekends, for seven consecutive months with only two sick days taken. Feeling unable to continue, he eventually resigned. However, just a week later, while working remotely, he was called into a meeting by the CEO, excluding his reporting manager. The Redditor said the meeting quickly escalated, ending in a panic attack and physical collapse.

I had a complete breakdown during a work video call because my CEO kept screaming - still dealing with the trauma
byu/energized_maverick inIndianWorkplace

“I began struggling for air and completely collapsed in my chair,” he wrote. Fortunately, his mother heard the commotion and rushed him to the hospital.

Alleged Retaliation And Delayed Settlement

The distress did not end with resignation. The employee claimed that HR downplayed his breakdown, portraying his medically advised recovery as “prolonged absence” while reluctantly processing his final settlement. He also alleged delays in processing his Provident Fund paperwork, calling it “deliberate sabotage.”

Ongoing Trauma And Message To Others

Still coping with the emotional fallout, the Redditor said he experiences flashbacks from that meeting. He criticised the broader culture that tolerates such abuse, stating, “They're not just ‘demanding bosses’—they're psychological abusers who happen to control your salary.”

In his closing remarks, he urged others in similar situations to prioritise mental well-being: “Trust your instincts. If someone consistently makes you feel worthless, the issue is with them, not you.”