[AltoLXI]

An employee submitted resignation the very first day when his manager termed "Work life balance" as western concept.

Hello Mr.

I hope this message finds you well.

After reflecting on recent events that unfolded on my first day of work, I must convey that our professional alignment does not seem to match. Specifically, I find your approach toward work expectations and personal boundaries seriously concerning.

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.

Ridiculing the concept of work-life balance and calling it a "fancy term" and "western-developed behavior" for someone of 24 years is dismissive, TOXIC, and uncalled for.

Moreover, your insistence on submitting work within 48 hours, outside of normal working hours, without compensation for overtime, coupled with demands to "burn the midnight oil" in a threatening manner is unreasonable, inhumane, and inconsiderate. I must remind you that the company LACKS any policy on overtime pay, even after I asked your HR about it, who reassured me that there would be no need for it, and everyone is expected to work within normal work hours (45 hours a week). Expecting work without fair compensation undermines both legal standards and the respect that every employee deserves.

These remarks and expectations are especially concerning given the increasing national attention on toxic work culture, which has sparked important discussions about employee well-being and workplace ethics. It's disappointing to encounter such behavior in light of these developments.

Lastly, your behavior during our last interaction, particularly scolding me, was unacceptable. I will not tolerate being subjected to such treatment.

Given these points, I believe it would be best for you to find another person who is willing to meet your expectations in the manner you desire. I hope you understand my decision, as I prioritize both professionalism and respect in my work relationships.

If you believe that your conduct in these situations is defensible and humane, I welcome and challenge you to make any slack recordings of our conversations public. Let others judge the professionalism and appropriateness of both your expectations and behavior.

Given these circumstances, I have decided it is best to part ways. I suggest finding someone whose approach aligns with your demands.

Sincerely

and also posted why he resigned, on social media platform

Hey everyone, I wanted to share my today's experience of quitting my job on the very first day and standing up to a toxic boss.

Background

My friends and I co-founded a startup right out of college in September 2022. Our goal was to level the playing field for retail investors by addressing three core problems:

Lack of time

Limited expertise

The grunt work

We aimed to solve these issues with AI and algorithms that could automate data gathering, analysis, and simplify complex financial information. Think of it as an "Auto/Co-Pilot" for portfolio management, not just another trading tool. This was before AI became the buzzword it is today.

As a part of our B.Tech CSE program, we were also introduced to finance, investments, and markets through structured courses. In the midst of lockdown having extra time on our hands , our finance professors Encouraged us to invest to learn in the markets and so we did. It was tough for us, as learning about the basics of market fundamentals and tracking them was not easy. We realized that many existing tools speak a financial language that's not familiar to most people, and we felt the need for something simpler.

By the time we graduated, we often wondered how we could manage a full-time job while keeping up with the markets. We couldn’t find a tool that really saved time and simplified things. That’s when we saw an opportunity to create one ourselves.

I worked full-time on product design and operations for our startup while my co-founder balanced a day job to support us financially.

We reached the finals of the Elevate Karnataka Startup Funding Competition, competing against over 800 startups. Although we didn’t secure funding, we understood the government's priority to support ventures in green and clean technologies, even if they aren't always financially viable and they believed we could raise funds externally, because of a good decent college IIITK. Our team included interns, and we shared equity among everyone involved. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints and the departure of key team members for higher studies, the project is currently paused. However, we haven’t given up; we just need more time and financial stability to get things moving again.

With that in mind, I began looking for a job. The interview for this position happened back in August. After completing two lengthy assignments (80+ hours of work, one of which I later found out was directly related to their product), they finally got back to me at the end of September. The offered salary was well below average, but I accepted it because it was a remote position that would allow me to focus on my startup after hours and on weekends.

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse on my first day.

The Incident

At the end of my first day (October 7th), my reporting manager, made it clear that he expected unreasonable commitments—work beyond normal hours without any compensation. When I tried to establish boundaries, he mocked me for talking about "work-life balance," calling it a "fancy term" and "western developed nation behavior." He also ridiculed my desire for time to read and exercise, dismissing it as an excuse.

I understand that startups sometimes require extra hours—I’ve done that myself as a co-founder. But there’s a difference between going the extra mile for your own project out of passion and being coerced into it in a professional setting with an established, profitable company.

Why I Shared This

I’ve seen too many people endure such toxic environments without speaking up, and I want to remind everyone that it’s okay to leave a bad situation, even on day one. Toxic work culture isn’t worth compromising your health and self-respect.

If anyone here can refer me to a UI/UX role (Ill share profiles in the DMs ) or provide feedback on my work, I’d greatly appreciate it.

I promise to deliver high-quality work to anyone who gives me the opportunity. Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Stay strong, and remember—your well-being matters.

Update 1 : CTC was 7LPA. Tried negotiating but they refused to even negotiate and talk.I Accepted it only because of fully remote setup flexibility even though it is below fair median pay with 2 YOE. I’m open to working in office/hybrid/remote

Update 2: Just to avoid any misunderstanding, Its not that I am unwilling to work for a minute post work hours, it’s about the personal attacks, belittling, ridiculing me for mentioning that I have life outside of work and have hobbies like reading, underpaying , not having any overtime policy and still expecting to work over and beyond work hours everyday. (12-14 hour workday everyday). I'm mature enough to understand there’s a difference between exploitation, toxic environment and those that aren't.

I will of course work when the situation demands, even a whole day, even weekends if need be. But not everyday which is what the founder ceo expected and definitely not with the personal threats and insults he made.

Link

[ninjatalli]

The profile of the OP/poster who shared this on reddit on r/India. Now he’s gone ahead and shared this on multiple groups on Reddit. He’s removed the company name from his posts thankfully.

Also he’s shared the response from the manager - quite a nuanced and appropriate response. Unless the actual conversation is made public, this might be just a case of he said / she said without any underlying proof being shared.

[shankar.balan]

We have a very large population who are skilled in different ways and who need to work and earn a living in order to simply survive. On account of the sheer numbers of available and hungry folks, there is a great deal of supply which generally far exceeds demand.

Hence the advantage tends to be on the side of the Employers and not the other way around. Considering this, the general atmosphere can at times seem exploitative and only the toughest tend to survive. Thats why there is ‘jockeying’ and ‘politics’ and all that.

It is simply the Survival of the Fittest, in the process of Natural Selection. Luck too does play a part in it.

Employment is a Business Transaction. Employees are exchanging some of their time and of course, their skills, in return for which the Employer pays them a consideration which they (the Employer) can afford.

Some Employers can afford to pay more, some cannot and many simply will not because at the end of the day everything is governed by commercial viability, ROI and Profit.

This is the eternal cycle and essence upon which Capitalism feeds. And it has been so from time immemorial. (Think Feudalism and Piracy and Oligarchy and everything. There is nothing different in Modern Corporates. Only the Strong Shall Survive.)

We can say whatever we want. But basic nature will not change.

The Strong will always devour or overpower the Weak.
There will always be a ‘Bigger Bear’.

In an Utopian world it would be up to the ‘better natures’ of those who have grown into the said ‘Bigger Bears’ to change things for the ‘Little Bears’.

But then, the Bigger Bears’ greed and appetite typically grow while their ‘better natures’ diminish.

So they will grab ‘theirs’ from the Corporate Gravy Train and go, while leaving nothing for those who come later.

Its a case of Each Man for Himself and the Devil Take the Hindmost.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

An employee submitted resignation the very first day when his manager termed "Work life balance" as western concept.

and also posted why he resigned, on social media platform

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Now he’s gone ahead and shared this on multiple groups on Reddit. He’s removed the company name from his posts thankfully.

Also he’s shared the response from the manager - quite a nuanced and appropriate response.

The employer's response is balanced, mature and professional. The ex-employee's postings on reddit sound like a need to seek validation, to seek dopamine and to show his virtual internet friends/followers that he knows how to show the proverbial middle finger {pardon this crude expression}.

If he did this on day one he clearly entered the job looking for a reason to get accolades on the internet for his "principled stand". I cannot understand how a conversation with anyone that you don't agree with can be termed toxic. The word toxic gets tossed around a lot on the web these days. Bad abusive behaviour over weeks or months with public insulting could be termed toxic. But if you don't have the moral fibre to deal with one conversation where you are in disagreement then you are simply not ready to be a self supporting adult. I am also not sure if his real resignation letter was as brave as he has made it out to be on reddit.

Unlike what he believes, my humble assessment is that this chap, if he becomes an entrepreneur will be a toxic employer. He lacks the capacity to maturely deal with a simple difference of views and has a need to convert everyday conversations into an "issue" to wave from the ramparts to his invisible reddit friends. It is most likely that his parents pay for his living today. If he desperately needed that job for survival, he would think of cleverer ways of handling a bossy boss.

I always get surprised by how many young team BHP employees {most from IT} talk of their inability to deal with a lousy boss. For crying out aloud a manager who is only a few years older to you, who is probably only one or two grades above you is the smallest problem life throws at you. Lousy bosses are destiny's way to give us practise to deal with bigger challenges life will throw at us as we go through it.

Question for members who have run a team in any industry - give a thought if you would hire this person. I wouldn't. Too much baggage. Too many games. Too much of self puffery.

If you apply your mind and if you are mature and balanced there are a dozen ways to deal with a pushy boss or pushy client or pushy Govt official. Being an adult is all about dealing smoothly with unpleasant situations without flying off the top and putting every small issue on the internet. On the scale of maturity this young person has yet to open his score.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The employer's response is balanced, mature and professional. The ex-employee's postings on reddit sound like a need to seek validation

100% agree.

Also, no one can determine how toxic a manager is on day one. They might have the right hunch but it should take a while for the role responsibilities and working styles to get aligned. This seems like someone just going with a pre-determined decision (to jump ship) and making all the noise possible. Well, if he's as good as he quotes in his Reddit posts, hopefully he'll make his mark in a different firm very soon. Else he's going to realize the hard truths of all this attention he's gaining is only temporary.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

The profile of the OP/poster who shared this on reddit on r/India.

Out of curiosity, I searched what the "Elevate Karnataka Startup Funding Competition" is which the OP/poster referred as to having reached the finals of.

Elevate is a yearly program by the GoK to nurture the startup ecosystem. Good till here. But then comes the kicker (emphasis mine):

A state will give a one-time grant of up to Rs 50 lakh to encourage innovators who may need early-stage funding to develop a prototype, market development, and scale-up. Around 100 startups are proposed to be selected with a committed budget of Rs 20 crore for ELEVATE 2023 Call 2.

So, this guy's so-called "startup" (i.e. he and his college buddy co-founder) didn't qualify among the top 100 within Karnataka for that year.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

100% agree.
Well, if he's as good as he quotes in his Reddit posts, hopefully he'll make his mark in a different firm very soon.

After writing so many buzzwords on what their idea (not yet a product) is, he says he is an UI/UX designer .

Unbelievable sense of self-importance and entitlement. I bet he is a pampered (and most likely, single) rich kid, imagining himself to be the next Nikhil Kamath .

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

So, this guy's so-called "startup" (i.e. he and his college buddy co-founder) didn't qualify among the top 100 within Karnataka for that year.

Nothing remarkable about this. It's stage managed for various interests often, and only awarded to KA registered startups. This guy's college is in AP, so possibly they don't qualify for the award. Either way, this isn't a demerit in any real sense.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

An employee submitted resignation the very first day when his manager termed "Work life balance" as western concept.

and also posted why he resigned, on social media platform

Link

In absence of the actual message that conveyed the following:
"it’s about the personal attacks, belittling, ridiculing me for mentioning that I have life outside of work and have hobbies like reading, underpaying, not having any overtime policy and still expecting to work over and beyond work hours everyday. (12-14 hour workday everyday)."
It is hard to make any overall judgement on both the parties.

Howver, the fresher has indeed shown a classic newbie trait of crying wolf on the slightest hint of being nudged out of the comfort zone.

He will definitely need to develop a thick skin especially when talking to bosses, some of who may mostly spew their emotions with low intent on making sure that the point is understood by both the parties (for details refer below) - which he will encounter many - bosses as well as clients (and investors too).

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Also he’s shared the response from the manager - quite a nuanced and appropriate response. Unless the actual conversation is made public, this might be just a case of he said / she said without any underlying proof being shared.

The manager, while being politically correct admits obtusely that whatever he intended to communicate was not registered properly in subordinate's mind.

The duty of speaker, in any role or circumstances, is not only to produce soundwaves from one's larynx and mouth but also to ensure that the other party has received and understood the message, so that there remains no ambiguity in what is being conveyed. More so when the other party is a complete new stranger.

The manager has failed in this basic task of effective communication.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Unlike what he believes, my humble assessment is that this chap, if he becomes an entrepreneur will be a toxic employer. He lacks the capacity to maturely deal with a simple difference of views and has a need to convert everyday conversations into an "issue" to wave from the ramparts to his invisible reddit friends. It is most likely that his parents pay for his living today. If he desperately needed that job for survival, he would think of cleverer ways of handling a bossy boss.

Question for members who have run a team in any industry - give a thought if you would hire this person. I wouldn't. Too much baggage. Too many games. Too much of self puffery.

Thats the unfortunate truth about the privileged Gen Z (I mean people passing out of college after 2015 era who come from well to do background).
We (several other friends across different industries) find similar common theme among the freshers from this era, some of which you have highlighted perfectly.

I guess this is a result of multiple things:
1) well to do parents who have pandered to every demands easily
2) social media which glorifies victimhood
3) social media that gives them ego-trip based on likes and followers (mostly anonymous unknowns)
4) easy fallback (parental resources) which is socially acceptable among the peers
5) lack of mentorship (by parents, or any other elder)
6) ... many other factors, which will require deeper analysis.

[guru_max]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Third, my favourite, is the pressure and dysfunctionality that stems from the way we work together - Boss to Subordinate & vice versa and Peer to Peer. In some uncanny unsaid way we Indians make working together a bit more complicated than it needs to be leading to more work, co-ordination, waiting, managing peers, sucking up, kicking down and what have you. Before the reader jumps on me allow me to explain. In my erstwhile business we did similar work in our engineering industry in Europe, in Dubai and in India. Same work, same global standards, sometimes same customers. The Europeans worked largely actually 8AM to 4PM, almost never required any inter or intra team co-ordination from me. They refused to work extra hours despite very attractive overtime. To get those extra hours I had to ship in Bulgarians!* In India the same work was handled, in some unfathomable way, more chaotically. Politics, jealousies, power grabs, egos all were at play. It is not as if these emotions do not surface in Europe but somehow it was handled before it broke into a 30-foot wave on the surface.

I think Indian companies have not adopted the best practices that the foreign companies have adopted over the years. Several companies across industries has a project manager/program director whose only job is to manage the project but uses the various teams across the company to execute the project. In an Indian company the position of program director just leads to turf war. I have seen cases where such a set up works, but more often that not it doesn't. With career paths not well defined and often murky, chaos ensures when multiple people are handled important positions when they even don't understand the kind of responsibilities such a position entails.

[FiFo_]

I manage an Analytics team for a big product firm in India and been in this industry for 12 years. When I see youngsters who say they have a life outside work and they want boundaries, I have nothing but respect for them. It is a trait that my generation of IT workers could not imbibe, but that is no reason for younger folks to not expect.

I struggle to see why many people in this forum are against this chap! While working late hours or extra time during weekends are inevitable in this industry, making it a pattern and expecting everyone to comply to these extended hours is a sign of poor management at best. The young lad has resigned and is at the receiving end of this transaction in terms of monetary gains. He has come out in the open and tried to expose a ritual which is a common practice in this industry, for which one needs to praise him and not condemn him.

[VVN]

Hell yeah, this person did the right thing by stepping away from such a toxic environment! A workplace that ignores boundaries, disrespects work-life balance, and expects employees to work overtime without compensation is a ticking time bomb for burnout and unhappiness. It's crazy how some employers still act like it's the 1950s, ignoring both modern work ethics and the legal standards around overtime pay. It’s clear from this person's experience that the company's culture is toxic, and their boss is dismissive of basic employee rights and well-being.

Work-life balance isn’t some "fancy term," it's a necessity for maintaining mental health and productivity. Countless studies show that employees who have a healthy balance between work and personal life perform better, are more loyal, and stay engaged longer. Toxic workplaces that demand unreasonable hours without offering compensation or understanding of personal boundaries are the exact reason why movements like #AntiWork and others are gaining so much traction.

Demanding "burning the midnight oil" without respect for personal time or proper compensation is straight-up exploitative. In many countries, it’s illegal not to pay for overtime, and ignoring this can lead to legal repercussions. It’s 2024, and if companies can’t adapt to modern working standards that prioritize respect, flexibility, and fair treatment, they’ll just keep losing good talent.

Honestly, props to this person for speaking up and setting boundaries. People shouldn’t have to endure toxic environments just because they need a job. Employers need to do better and remember that employees are human beings, not robots.

I am glad that Gen Z have actually prioritised work life balance over the nonsensical validation one gets from managers on 'Working 12-16 hours'.

[slango97]

Some forum members have pointed out that he "cried wolf" on the "first day" and that nobody can know that a manager is toxic by spending just one day with them.

Well, onus is also on managers to at least try and make a good impression instead of belittling and ridiculing people on their first day for wanting to have a life outside of work.

People can say what they want about gen Z (some of what you say is indeed true), but bottom line is that our generation is not willing to tolerate irritating managers, long hours, and unnecessary office politics. You may think and say we have been pandered to by our parents, that we've grown up too comfortably, etc. But this shows that you are biased against younger people and are out of touch with the realities of growing up in the modern world.

Yes, our basic needs are more than met and we grew up "comfortably" in the physical sense. But we have also been exposed to SO MUCH so quickly - extreme competition for schools, colleges, and jobs; direct exposure and access to global events and media coverage of painful and scarring incidents; online hatred, bigotry and abuse; the list goes on. None of these were faced as intensely by older generation (with all due respect, agreed that you lacked some basic comforts we have). Overall, our generation has a bleaker outlook on the world and on life; we are always fighting to compete and we are always unsettled. Nearing 30 yet still without a stable job, a house, a car, a family. We don't know if ever we will get settled in one place.

Beyond all this, to also tolerate nonsense at work is something we cannot and will not do; when most of our youth and energy is anyway being spent working, we at least expect good conditions in the workplace. Because we do not know where our careers will go, whether we will stay or leave the country, whether there will be another pandemic or war around the corner that will leave us scrambling for money or for our own health.

Please spend more time talking to our generation and understanding why we are the way we are, instead of observing from afar and ridiculing us.

Sorry for the long post.

[somersault]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The employer's response is balanced, mature and professional. The ex-employee's postings on reddit sound like a need to seek validation,

Question for members who have run a team in any industry - give a thought if you would hire this person.

I would definitely avoid this employee for multiple reasons. All of these are my personal assessments and I am not an expert here.

1. He has a very low tolerance level. Not commenting on who is correct and who is wrong, but quitting on day one for any reason is a sheer waste of both sides. It is the fear of loss of perceived freedom made him quit on day 1. This was just a talk between the manager and the employee. Not an actual experience of stressful life. I would go with any employee who would have taken some time to understand the problem better, observe more and then make a judgement.

2. Need to go social for any problem, however small or big it is. Its at the same level of the case of road accidents, where by default a smaller car owner gathers crowd to have a support to him, when he/she had accident with a larger car. So that it becomes a battle between the smaller car and a bigger car. This is even without going into discussion between the 2 vehicle owners.

3. Shows a kind of unknown fear/non satisfaction in his mind, rather than the happiness to join into a new job. If the package was not acceptable, he should have avoided joining. Again, this is an unrelated topic which he needlessly brought out while going on social media.

[RunGaDa]

Project management is not an easy task. Project managers often pressurize developers to cover up for some bad and inconceivable promises made to the higher ups or client. This leads to imbalance, dampening the spirits of the developer. 95% PMs do this.
With this developer raising his voice it would compel the industry to straighten the complete cycle, not go only by pressure tactics.
I hope it makes a good change.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by FiFo_

I struggle to see why many people in this forum are against this chap!

I think the issue some of us have is with the whole public airing of this interaction. I'm all for exiting a bad work environment, just like I'm all for a company firing a bad employee. I've rejected a job offer because at the interview, the hiring manager boasted about how she had carried her laptop with her on a recent family vacation. I'm glad she was at least upfront about the work culture expectation on her team before I joined the company. But even then, reading the employee's post, it seems like there is some other agenda there. Plus, posting all that, with identifiable information, is probably not going to be good for the employee's future prospects.

Originally Posted by VVN

I am glad that Gen Z have actually prioritised work life balance over the nonsensical validation one gets from managers on 'Working 12-16 hours'.

Originally Posted by slango97

People can say what they want about gen Z...

It is the hallmark of EVERY generation that they think their <music, work ethic, mother's cooking> was the best. And the way to prove that is to put down a whole younger generation based on some solitary experiences. It's the only thing all generations have in common...that and the fact that we're all wrong about it!

But thanks for posting, great to hear some younger voices for a change!