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'Am I being exploited?': First-time employee questions 13-hour shift, just 2 leaves a month
A Reddit user claims their new job requires employees to inform management if they travel outside Kochi during their weekends.
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A first-time employee has taken to Reddit to question their gruelling 13-hour work schedule. The individual claimed they are currently required to work from the office from 9 am to 5 pm, followed by a mandatory work-from-home shift until 10 pm. With weekend work also being compulsory and only two days of leave granted per month, the employee is seeking social media’s perspective on whether these expectations are a standard industry practice or a clear case of professional exploitation.
“Is this work schedule even legal or am I being exploited?” the employee wrote on Reddit, adding, “I wanted to gain some perspective on whether the expectations of my current job are reasonable or if I’m being taken advantage of. My official working hours are: 9 AM to 5 PM: Work from the office. 5 PM to 10 PM: Work from home. So, effectively, I’m working 13 hours a day. Additionally, we are expected to work on Saturdays and Sundays as well (WFH).”
The employee further claimed, “The office is closed on weekends, but work is still mandatory. We only receive 2 days of leave per month. There’s no proper weekly off, and it feels like I’m constantly working with barely any time to rest or recover. Is this normal? This is my first job.”
The Reddit user also shared a screenshot purportedly showing a memo from the company’s HR department. In addition to the other things, it also states that employees must inform the office if they are travelling out of Kochi on Saturdays and Sundays.
What did social media say?
An individual posted, “Kochi? Which company in Kochi is doing this? And these are very micro-managing kinds of policies - especially the stuff about weekend availability.” Another added, “Please leave the company. They don't have any right to know your whereabouts on weekends. If they are asking to work mandatory on weekends then it's poor workforce planning from their end. Employees should not suffer from management's mistakes!”
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A third expressed, “Are you getting paid for that extra time you work from 5-10pm? I'm guessing not. And no, this isn't normal. They're exploiting you. Also, please check the Indian Labour Law, which caps working hours at 48 per week and requires overtime to be compensated at double the hourly rate. Point this out to your management/HR.” A fourth wrote, “Exploitative A*. Run!”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
