Employee Quits Job On Day 1 After ‘Toxic’ Boss Demands Overtime Without Pay, Resignation Letter Goes Viral

Shreyas was shocked to learn that his boss demanded working hours well beyond the contracted nine hours per day, which led him to quit on his very first day.

Representational Image | A product designer, Shreyas, resigned on his first day of a new job due to his manager's toxic behavior and unreasonable demands.

Source : istockphoto

A product designer, Shreyas, claimed he resigned on his first day at a new job due to the toxic behaviour of his manager and unreasonable demands. Sharing his experience on Reddit, he posted a screenshot of his resignation email, which quickly went viral.

In a Reddit post, Shreyas explained that despite accepting a job that paid below industry standards because it allowed for remote work, he soon realised his boss expected overtime without additional compensation. Moreover, the manager dismissed the concept of work-life balance as merely a "fancy term" associated with "Western developed nation behaviour."

As per the post, he started his role on October 7 and was shocked to learn that his boss demanded working hours well beyond the contracted nine hours per day, which led him to quit on his very first day. He shared his story to highlight the importance of standing up against toxic workplace environments.

“When I tried to establish boundaries, he mocked me for talking about ‘work-life balance,’ calling it a ‘fancy term’ and "western developed nation behaviour." He also ridiculed my desire for time to read and exercise, dismissing it as an excuse,” he said in a post on Reddit.

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Employee Outlines Manager’s Behaviour

The new employee was expected to work 12 to 14 hours a day without extra compensation. Shreyas mentioned that while he was okay with occasional overtime, his primary concern was his boss's “personal attacks” whenever he spoke about having a life outside of work. He stated that his manager “belittled” and “mocked” him, describing the work environment as exploitative and toxic.

Frustrated by these unreasonable expectations, he resigned on his first day. In a detailed resignation letter, which he shared online, he outlined the specific issues he had with his manager’s behaviour.

“I find your approach toward work expectations and personal boundaries seriously concerning,” the employee said. “You have repeatedly made remarks about my activities outside of work hours, which I believe is highly inappropriate and unprofessional. What I choose to do in my personal time-whether it is exercising, spending time with family, sleeping, or READING BOOKS is my prerogative and should not be subject to criticism,” he told his boss in the resignation letter.

Shreyas lashed out at his boss against the remarks on work-life balance and the "intimidating" tone used when demanding unpaid overtime. He highlighted how such expectations were particularly concerning given the ongoing national conversation around toxic workplaces. 

Shreyas pointed out that expecting tasks to be completed within 48 hours, outside regular working hours, without extra compensation, and in a pressuring manner, was unreasonable and inhumane. He ended his resignation by daring his boss to dispute any of the claims made in his email.

User's Response To Post

Soon after the resignation letter was posted on one of the social media platforms Reddit, the users appreciated the employee's move. One of the users said, "Proud of you. Wish I had done it early on in my career."

The next said, "This has got to be one of the best worded emails I have ever read. Kudos to your skill and integrity."

Another said, "Up next, a linkedin post from the boss, quoting great visionaries like Narayana Murthy and Anupam Mittal, and moaning about how young people today can’t slave away like God intended them to."