Indian startup employee says toxic culture, work till 2:30 am led to heart attack

The former startup employee urged others not to endure a toxic workplace for financial security, adding that life doesn’t matter more than a paycheck.

An employee in a Reddit post claimed that the toxic work culture at an Indian startup resulted in the worker suffering a massive heart attack and ending up jobless with an uncertain future. The individual wrote that despite noticing red flags in the job, the worker was forced to work for “megalomaniac founders” due to the brutal job market.

An employee blamed a toxic Indian startup after suffering a heart attack. (Representative image). (Unsplash/elimendeinagella)

“Here’s my story - two decades working with US/European companies taught me what healthy work culture looks like. Last year, I ignored every red flag and joined an Indian startup as I had no other options after being laid off,” the employee wrote, adding, “The signs were there from week two- fudged revenue numbers, megalomaniac founders, ‘always-on’ expectations from 11:30 am to 2 am daily. Classic toxic Indian workplace - gaslighting, nepotism, impossible clients, zero respect.”

In the following few lines, the employee claimed that the daily pressure of work and the disrespect at the workplace “chipped away” at their “sanity, ethics, and self-respect.” The person continued, “Depression crept in as the founders’ failures made them increasingly abusive to employees.”

The post prompted a flurry of responses. Many shared similar stories of their own. An individual posted, “I can understand ...I am in the same boat, but not me, my husband got two heart attacks, three stents, at the age of 31. He was made to sit at home, so I left my job for caregiving. It's not just in IT but in every field. He's in the hotel industry. Joining back is still a stressful job, and every visit to the doctor is still a nightmare with new issues.”

Another added, “Get well soon. You certainly did not deserve the disrespect and mental torture. But it's a great lesson to get away from egotistical founders who think they are the gangsters of the business world. I worked at one such firm, and my health went downhill.”

A third expressed, “I'm so sorry this happened to you. Please take care of your health. I guess these startups don't even provide health insurance and annual preventive health checkups.” The OP responded, “They provided health insurance like most others. But they should have created an environment where no employees would ever have to use them.”

A fourth wrote, “Even though I agree with you and hate the toxic culture, I know there are people living paycheck to paycheck, so it doesn't matter how bad the environment is; they can't leave unless they have other options. I understand your point that the family needs them alive. Still, working men are the only earners in many families, so it's more like a responsibility to keep working to provide for their spouse, children, parents, and siblings. I am not saying I disagree, but unfortunately, the reality of life is sometimes bigger than any right or wrong.”