A recent Reddit post tells the story of an Indian remote worker at a US startup who was frustrated because the new job wasn’t worth it. His post did not go unnoticed and not without reason. He requested leave after working weeks of extra time, and it was declined. What immediately followed was a hot-tempered conversation that nearly cost him his job.
Indian Employee On Toxic Culture At US Startup
Joined here a month ago, leave denied, resigned immediately, asked to stay.
byu/scaringthepharmacist inIndianWorkplace
The employee posted on Reddit, “I joined a US-based company while based in India. My boss is a white male. I got a medical condition during the first month, and my doctors informed me that it was because of stress. But I had to manage it by myself.” Only a month later, he had already developed health problems associated with stress.
However, he did not immediately take leave but tried to bear it. That is where everything began to go down the drain. After weeks of working overtime, he finally asked to be given leave on a Tuesday. His boss wanted to know what had happened. In cases where he did not provide detailed explanations, the request was outright denied.
Think about that — he was already facing health problems due to stress, a mere month in. However, he did not immediately take time off but attempted to endure it. That is where things began to go wrong.
He had worked overtime, and after completing a full week, he finally asked for a day off — a Tuesday. His supervisor wanted to know what had happened. The request was simply rejected when he failed to provide detailed reasons.
Things Got Messy
And this is where it becomes interesting. The worker was concerned that his supervisor would not compensate him for the work he had already completed. So, he took a rash step — he revoked his boss’s access to the work drive.
He said, “The holiday and relaxation that I mentioned in writing were on Diwali (which I informed him about a week before). I suspended his entry to my drive out of fear that he would not pay me for the work that I had already done this month, and to get that first.”
Smart or risky? Reddit had mixed opinions.
The Truth That Sets the Record
But to their credit, they both did not leave it on a bad note. They also spoke on a call and had an honest talk.
The worker made it plain and simple: “In any way, we discussed this, I would have made him realize that it is not cool. Unless the issue was that the projects were getting delayed, then I would have handled the situation by working at night. Unless the issue was that he just wanted me to work more, then I would not mind taking unpaid leave. Also, I made it clear to him that I have worked at several toxic places and I am not going to be ruled by people.”
That is the type of clarity that most conflicts in the workplace require — no beating around the bush.
To prevent misunderstanding, his boss requested him to communicate better and make more calls. They agreed to move forward. The employee was able to convey his point: “I wanted to inform him that I am not pathetic, and I could leave any time I want; if he wants to deny leave or act toxic.”
Setting The Record Straight
There were some questions among Reddit users about whether the boss had actually been American. The worker explained: “I video chat with him four times a week — he is white indeed. Currently, he has only 34 employees, so it is a very small startup. Someone in my network referred me, and they are not on a full-time basis but rather on a retainer basis. I am the sole Indian who is full-time employed with him.”
So, it’s a tiny operation. This is the reason why there is a certain amount of disorder — small startups do not always have proper HR practices or policies.
What Reddit Had To Say
The comments section blew up. People had strong opinions.
One user commented, “You handled it better than most people would have reacted.”
Another said, “Taking away access was a dangerous but sensible action in case you feared not being paid.”
There was also a comment that small startups always tend to blur lines, and in this case, it was chaos.
Another replied, “Good that both of you sorted it out without things falling apart.”
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