Man quits on first day after Indian boss calls work-life balance 'western behaviour'. See viral post

Shreyas’s post on Reddit attracted widespread attention, with many users offering support.

A product designer resigned on his first day after clashing with his employer over expectations of working beyond standard hours without compensation. The designer, named Shreyas, shared his experience on Reddit, highlighting his concerns about what he described as an unreasonable and toxic work environment.

Shreyas, who had accepted the role of Associate Product Designer with a salary package of Rs 7 lakh per annum, was alarmed when his reporting manager made it clear that the role required additional hours of work without any overtime compensation. The manager also dismissed the concept of work-life balance, calling it a “fancy term” and a behaviour associated with “Western developed nations.”

In his Reddit post, Shreyas detailed his manager’s response when he attempted to establish boundaries around his working hours. “When I tried to establish boundaries, he mocked me for talking about ‘work-life balance’, calling it a ‘fancy term’ and ‘Western developed nation behaviour’. He also ridiculed my desire for time to read and exercise, dismissing it as an excuse,” Shreyas wrote. He went on to describe the pressure to work excessive hours, stating that his manager demanded commitments that he found “unreasonable, inhumane, and inconsiderate.”

Shreyas emphasised that his issue was not with staying beyond regular working hours occasionally, but with the personal attacks and the expectation of consistently long hours without compensation. He explained, “It’s about the personal attacks, belittling, ridiculing me for mentioning that I have a life outside of work and have hobbies like reading, underpaying, not having any overtime policy and still expecting to work over and beyond work hours every day.”

In addition to his Reddit post, Shreyas attached a copy of his resignation email, in which he expressed serious concerns about his manager’s behaviour. He wrote, “You’ve repeatedly made remarks about my activities outside of work hours, which I believe is highly inappropriate and unprofessional. What I choose to do in my personal time—whether it is exercising, spending time with my family, sleeping or reading books—is my prerogative and should not be subject to criticism.”

Shreyas also criticised the company’s expectations of extra work without fair compensation, stating that it “undermines both legal standards and the respect that every employee deserves.” He concluded his email by resigning from the position and suggesting that the company find someone more aligned with its expectations.

In response, Shreyas’s boss acknowledged the disagreement and accepted the resignation, noting that there was “a clear consensus on parting ways.” The boss added, “There are definitely a few lessons that I have taken from this entire encounter, and I thank you for that.” He wished Shreyas luck in his future endeavours and confirmed that payment for his one day of service would be processed.

Quit My Job on the 1st Day After Standing Up to a Toxic Boss. Email attached in the comments.
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Shreyas’s post on Reddit attracted widespread attention, with many users offering support and some suggesting referrals for new roles in UI/UX design.

"This has got to be one of the best worded emails I have ever read. Kudos to your skill and integrity," a user wrote. Another user commented, "Great stuff dude. Somebody's gotta stand up."

"Name and shame the companies. Calling them out is the only way to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else," a third user remarked.

A fourth user stated, "Good for you man. It feels like I'm constantly having to shut down toxic managers these days."