An Indian employee is earning praise on social media for setting boundaries and refusing to accept disrespectful behaviour in the workplace. Dhrupadi, a 26-year-old living in Mumbai, shared an Instagram video where she revealed that she quit her job after her boss shouted at her in public — all because she requested compensation for working overtime.
She said that she was willing to accept low pay, but disrespect is where she drew the line.
Dhrupadi told HT.com that she was working as a vocal coach with a Mumbai-based music ed-tech company. “I was teaching students from beginner to advanced levels, and I’m genuinely grateful for the experience I gained while mentoring so many learners during that time,” she said.
Resigning after public rebuke
In her Instagram post, Dhrupadi explained that her resignation stemmed from being denied overtime pay. She told HT.com that she was working with “a leading music ed-tech company based in Mumbai, with branches in Bangalore and Chennai.”
“After working for 2 years and 7 months in a company and maintaining a strong reputation in my role, I asked for compensation for extra hours being put into work beyond my official schedule,” the 26-year-old said in her Instagram post.
“The response I received was being shouted at publicly in front of hundreds of people.”
{{/usCountry}}“The response I received was being shouted at publicly in front of hundreds of people.”
{{/usCountry}}She shared a clip where a person, presumably her former boss, was heard saying, “Everybody has to align to my rules and regulations. If you do not like it, please leave tomorrow. It’s completely okay.”
Dhrupadi said that she followed her boss’s advice and resigned soon thereafter. The resignation was not sudden or impulsive, she sought an apology from her manager before handing in her notice.
“Before resigning, I had formally raised concerns internally and genuinely hoped the situation would be handled through healthier communication and accountability,” Dhrupadi told HT.com.
“I raised concerns professionally and sought accountability and a formal apology. When that didn’t happen, I chose to resign,” she said.
A discussion on workplace dignity
Dhrupadi said that with her video, she aims to start a larger conversation around workplace dignity.
“The reel I posted was really a reflection of a much larger conversation around workplace communication, dignity, and boundaries, especially for younger professionals and creatives today,” she told HT.com.
“This generation is not perfect. But we are becoming less willing to trade dignity for approval. And maybe that change was needed,” the 26-year-old added on Instagram.
Her Instagram Reel has certainly sparked a conversation on workplace etiquette. It has crossed over 90,000 views on the photo and video-sharing platform.
“Until government brings strict laws against unpaid overtime, talent will keep leaving for opportunities overseas,” wrote one person in the comments section.
“Super proud of you taking this decision. I am happy to see that you did not let them take you for granted any further!” another said.
“No one should tolerate toxic work culture,” a third added.