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Employee claims HR denied salary after she quit within a week over 'toxic' work culture
The employee said that she was offered a salary of ₹5.04 LPA but soon found the workplace difficult to sustain.
An employee has claimed she quit a company within a week due to what she described as a “toxic” work culture. In a Reddit post titled “company refused to pay because I resigned within a week due to toxic behavior,” the employee detailed her brief stint as a marketing executive at a small firm.
The employee shared that she was offered a salary of ₹5.04 LPA but soon found the workplace difficult to sustain. She alleged a 6-day workweek with strict 9-hour shifts, constant surveillance via cameras, and excessive micromanagement by the founder. “Most employees were straight out of college (so they dont realise they are being exploited),” the employee wrote.
She said that the situation escalated when she left work 10 minutes early one day due to migraine. Despite arriving early that morning, she claimed her manager, who worked remotely, called and reprimanded her, allegedly warning that failure to seek daily permission for leaving on time would “make it hell” for her.
“My manager (who works remotely btw) called me and repeatedly shouted + questioned my "behavior", saying I need to ask for permission before leaving every single day and must strictly complete 9 hours. She goes on to tell me this behaviour would not suffice and that If I didnt ask for her permission everyday she would personally make it hell for me,” the OP wrote.
Fearing further deterioration of her mental health, the employee decided to quit within a week. However, the issue did not end there. When she followed up on her pending salary, the company’s HR allegedly refused to process the payment, citing internal policy.
The OP shared screenshots of a WhatsApp chat which showed the HR representative stating, “We cannot process the compensation as per the policy,” and adding, “You should be thankful we are not claiming anything from your side.”
The employee pushed back, asking the HR team to highlight the specific policy, especially since she had already been told payments would be cleared within 15 days of her last working day. She also questioned whether such policies applied even if someone resigned within the first week.
“Has anyone else faced something like this? What's the best way to handle this legally or professionally?” the OP wrote, concluding her post.
(Also Read: ‘ ₹40,000 in a day’: Indian man in Australia says his daily earnings equal a full month’s salary in India)
Social media reactions
The incident triggered strong reactions online, with many users criticising the company’s stance.
“Get everything on email lol , and shame them publicly, they'll not get candidates at all ,and also write reviews on Glassdoor and all those places , idk about others but I do check reviews of other companies.if I'll be joining any,” one user wrote.
“Its not worth it. Just move on. Out of sight, out of mind. Focus on the next chapter,” suggested another.
“The audacity of companies man . They treat no better than personal slaves dude. I don't get this 9hrs strict timings. If the work is done why stay long ? What retarded philosophy is this,” wrote a third user.
One user also shared similar experience. “I recently had to do the same. Worked 3 days & quit on the 4th day due to chaotic work culture. Didn't bother asking for compensation coz there's no point,” they wrote.
(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.)
