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‘15-hour shift, verbal abuse’: Indian techie accuses startup founder of making him cry
An Indian techie found support on Reddit when he claimed his boss made him cry during a video call. He accused his company's co-founder of being toxic.
An Indian techie shared a post on Reddit accusing a company co-founder of verbally abusing him and other employees. In an emotional post, he described the individual as toxic and recounted a recent interaction where the founder’s behaviour reduced him to tears during a video call.
“I cried on Google Meet in front of the tech lead. I do not know how to face it now (sic),” the techie wrote, explaining that he works at a startup, and one of the three founders of the establishment also acts as the tech lead. In the rest of the post, he accuses the person of deliberately misbehaving with the employees on different occasions.
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The employee also alleged that the tech lead forces them to work up to 15-hour shifts without clear instructions. He recounted that during the incident that left him in tears, he conveyed that the instructions for a specific project were inadequate. Instead of receiving guidance, he faced verbal abuse from the founder.
“I could not hold my tears and started crying, and I was not in the mental zone to work, so I told him I am taking leave after a few hours of Google Meet,” the techie added.
Social media extended its support for the techie. Suggestions poured in on the post's comments section, from ways to handle stress at work to learning to be assertive to searching for new job opportunities.
Here’s what Reddit users said:
“Hey bud, listen, you are all good. In life, you judge yourself by your own standards and don't let anybody else make you feel bad about your emotions. You are allowed to feel whatever you feel like, and you are allowed to express it (until it doesn't hurt others). Cry your heart out, kid, and then move on. Crying is healthy, and if someone doesn't understand that, who gives a damn. You are brave. You'll thrive no matter what! Best of luck!” wrote an individual.
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Another added, “Try to get out of that place. You are just a resource for them. They will exploit you as much as you let them.” A third commented, “I feel bad for you, sorry, op. Remember, breaking down is okay, especially when you have toxic colleagues. It's even more difficult.” A fourth joined, “Believe in your skills, start interviewing, and dump them once you get a better job. Do it for your mental health.”
In a follow-up comment, the original poster thanked everyone for their thoughtful messages. He further informed that he had another video call with his boss after the incident, during which he spoke in an assertive tone and tried to set boundaries. He also shared that he plans to apply for new jobs while continuing in his current company.
