Bengaluru techie reveals ‘unspoken, toxic’ rules in Indian corporates: ‘Rapid-fire Hindi, chain-smoking’ | Trending

A Bengaluru techie penned down “unspoken rules” that he claimed defined toxic culture in Indian corporates. The techie shared the rules on the r/Bangalore subreddit adding that these were his observations from working at three unicorn startups for four years in multiple cities. The techie said that not being a smoker, drinker or not knowing Hindi can alienate many at a workplace.(Representational) “I am, sitting at my desk, wondering why this part of corporate life feels like navigating a maze blindfolded. Let me vent—because maybe I’m not alone?” he said, sharing the “unspoken rules” The first obstacle he faced was language. He complained about Hindi slowly becoming the only language in which his colleagues had conversations. Unspoken rules of corporate culture“Hindi hai, bro? Cool, let’s switch.” Imagine walking into a meeting that starts with a polite “How’s your day?” in English, only for the next 30 minutes to dissolve into rapid-fire Hindi. Jokes fly, ideas bounce, and you’re just…nodding,” he said, adding that rampant use of languages other than English in the workplace can alienate many. He added that even though one can learn to speak Hindi, they might still miss out on pop culture references and inside jokes. “It’s like trying to catch smoke with your hands. The worst part? The bonding. Chai breaks, lunch tables, even Slack threads—suddenly, you’re the outsider in your own office. You smile awkwardly, laugh a beat too late. It’s not malice; it’s just…habit. But when promotions hinge on “culture fit,” how do you fit into a culture that feels linguically gated?” he added. Another obstacle he faced was being excluded from casual interactions among colleagues as they usually happened during smoke breaks. “Here’s the other “unofficial rulebook”: smoke breaks = networking gold. Every hour, the balcony fills with folks puffing away, discussing projects, venting about managers, or just…chatting. You don’t smoke? Now enjoy staring at your screen while career-critical conversations happen without you,” he added. Similarly, being a teetotaler can impact social interactions in office parties, he said. “If you’re not clinking glasses, you’re a ghost. “Why aren’t you drinking?!” becomes the anthem of the night. Decline politely, and suddenly, you’re the “boring one.” The FOMO isn’t about the alcohol—it’s about the camaraderie that evaporates when you’re not “one of them,” he added. (Also read: Indian lawyer feels ‘cheated’ after moving to Europe: ‘How have we been living?’) ‘Problematic culture’’You start questioning: Is my career growth tied to my ability to chain-smoke or crack jokes in Hindi? To anyone else sitting silently in meetings, faking laughs, or skipping parties to avoid the peer pressure—I see you. This isn’t about “snowflake syndrome.” It’s about workplaces feeling like high school cliques, where your worth hinges on things that have nothing to do with your skills,” he said. The post was quickly flooded with messages from professionals who have felt similar alienation at their workplace. “I’ve noticed this at many places and it’s horrible. It takes a lot of effort to try making a change, especially when the upper management is part of the problem. The entire smoking and drinking to be part of the “culture” is quite problematic honestly,” said one user. Another user wrote, “All points introduce a bias for someone because of the habits they have outside of the work. Point 2 and 3 are specially so so annoying. My promotion was delayed 6 months due to these points. They promoted a guy who used to smoke and socialize with others on ‘sutta break’.”