The lure of a corporate job often comes with dreams of stability and growth, but it turned into a nightmare for one Reddit user. The individual exposed the toxic work culture of a Noida-based digital marketing startup and this has sparked outrage as well as conversations about the need for stricter labor laws in India.
The story began on October 7 when a couple of individuals joined the company as a Business Development Executive. They were assigned an impossible task on the first day and it was cold-calling to 500 numbers. Their work hours were abruptly changed from 2 PM–11 PM to 7 PM–4 AM without prior notice or discussion.
The individual quit the very next day feeling disrespected and overburdened while leaving behind their goal of gaining corporate exposure. A conversation with their former Team Leader weeks later revealed the full extent of the company’s exploitative practices. The employee was told that salaries were withheld if new hires didn’t meet an impossible revenue target of $1,500 in their first month. The company had just one client and it generated just $300. It seemed to function on overworking employees until they quit and conveniently avoiding salary payouts.
The experience came at a cost and it was emotional as well as financial losses that included rent for accommodation. A silver lining was there and they were pushed to focus on freelancing career and it has flourished making them earn double of what was promised in the company. The Redditor shared a hopeful perspective saying “When things don’t go your way, it’s part of God’s plan.”
Startups must be held accountable for ethical employment practices.
