‘Take care, no worries’: Employee’s chats reveal ‘rarely seen’ side of Indian startup boss

While startup environments are frequently criticised for being high-pressure and toxic, one employee’s viral post is proving that leadership makes all the difference. Sharing a series of supportive WhatsApp messages, the individual revealed that in two years at an Indian startup, their managers have never questioned a single leave or work-from-home request, prioritising empathy over scrutiny.Screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation shared an employee. (Screengrab (Reddit))“Managers at my startup,” an individual wrote on Reddit, adding, “They have never ever asked a single question whenever I have asked for leaves or wfh.”Also Read: ‘Threats, personal attacks, non-stop spam’: Boss threatens to call employee’s dadThe employee continued, “People say startup culture is bad but I have been here for 2 years and never faced a single toxic situation. It only boils down to the kind of people you are working with.”The individual concluded the post with screenshots of their WhatsApp communication with their manager.What did social media say?An individual advised, “This tone of communication at the workplace is going to bite you in the back someday. Please be professional in your communication for your own good.” The OP replied, “We’re too casual here, but yeah, noted for future reference.”Another shared, “My manager said in a team meeting that taking leave should be avoided at all costs. Work is important, and we need to plan our lives around our work. Unless it’s very, very urgent that you can’t avoid something, you are supposed to be working without fail. His examples – birthdays in family, any ceremonies in family, trips with family, vacation with family – all should be avoided to prioritise our work.” A third commented, “It appears like you might be exploiting his kindness, and he may flip sometime soon.” The OP posted, “How is taking wfh or leaves exploitative?”Also Read: Laid-off Oracle employee turns Uber driver, earns while planning new business: ‘No panic, no stress’A fourth wrote, “Indian work culture is so bad that people are now considering this unhealthy and exploitative from OP’s side. Man, this is how it is supposed to be. You get sick leave and work from home whenever you’re unwell, that’s standard. At FAANG and non-FAANG top companies, aise hi hota hai usually unless you have a sh**ty manager. Don’t let the workplace exploit you; this is how it is supposed to be. Look at how she informed them and didn’t ask. You’re living your life, you’re not in school ki you have to take permission for everything.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)