‘I’m screaming because…’: Byju’s employee’s meltdown over incentives. Viral video

The woman engaged in a heated discussion with her superiors. (Image: screengrab from video @gharkekalesh/Twitter)

A viral video on social media shows a female employee from BYJU's engaging in a heated argument with her senior over incentives. The video, uploaded by the Twitter handle “Ghar Ke Kalesh,” has sparked concerns about the alleged toxic work culture and the long-standing grievances of employees at India's most valued edtech company.

Several videos of BYJU's employees have been circulating since last year, with claims of alleged abusive practices and lack of support within the organization. In the video, the woman can be heard expressing her frustration over the lack of incentives and support, as she addresses the issue openly in front of her colleagues.

Moneycontrol cannot independently verify the authenticity of the clip.

Kalesh b/w Employee and Byjus Companyy over giving lot’s of mental pressure during job (Unfortunately Girl is missing since then) pic.twitter.com/xzgIUbqjeq

— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) July 22, 2023

“I will talk in front of everyone. Soham sir is VP of BYJU’s, not mine or the President or Vice President of India," she says.

“We were told that we can work here and get a chance to survive but from the start we said we don’t want to work here. We said that we won’t be able to work here but we have not got any support from anyone,” she added.

“This is the end. We have not received incentives for 12 months,” the unidentified employee yells.

On asking her to be calm by one of the seniors she said: "Yes sir, I am screaming because I am going mad.” She also complains about layoffs and alleged meagre settlements of just Rs 2,000 that employees have received.

On requests of her to go inside and talk, she said she will “confront” them outside and not go inside the cabin even as her senior comes out and urges her to have a private discussion.

“Have I even got the chance to speak to you? Should I show you my phone, my messages?” she asked her senior.

According to the video's caption, the woman has allegedly been missing since then.

Social media has been abuzz with reactions to the video, with many users expressing solidarity with the employee and condemning BYJU's work culture. One user wrote, “Only working people know the truth behind BYJU’s. One of the worst environment while working nothing but sales target and pressure...”

Others pointed out the apparent dichotomy of the company's treatment of employees versus its extravagant spending, with one user saying, "BYJU's giving 2000/- gratuity after 12 months of service on termination while giving crores to BCCI Indian cricket team ALL WITH INVESTOR FUNDED MONEY is peak debauchery."

“3 of my friends work in BYJU’s (online) and all are frustrated by the overwhelming pressure, no incentives since past year. Excessive work and manipulated rating system to avoid incentives. 6 sessions per day plus PTMs total work hours 13 hours including Meetings and everything,” another user commented.

One Twitter user had a different view and wrote, "When a company doesn't treat you well, escalate to the highest level with proper documentation through mail asking for resolution within a finite timeline and even then if no one responds, walk out, not worth the time and energy. No point burning bridges with anyone."

This incident comes at a time when BYJU's is facing significant financial stress. The company recently vacated its largest office space in Bengaluru as part of cost-cutting measures amid a delay in funding. Additionally, over a thousand employees were laid off last month, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the company's future.

Byju's has been seeking a substantial fund infusion of over $700 million since the beginning of the year, but the funding round remains elusive. The company's financial struggles, coupled with employee unrest, have raised questions about its long-term sustainability and corporate culture.

Founded over a decade ago by former teacher Byju Raveendran, the edtech giant has achieved remarkable success, raising over $5 billion in funding, mainly in the last five years.