Techie shares harrowing experience, berated for leaving ‘early’ after 10-hour shift, forced to work weekends | Trending

An IT professional deployed at a product-based MNC through a mid-sized startup took to social media to open up about the toll a toxic work environment is taking on his mental health. Currently two months into a three-year contract, he called the experience “one of the most mentally draining” phases of his career so far. The IT professional is deployed at a product-based MNC.(Representative Image/Pixabay) Also read: Woman fired for leaving work one minute early sues employer: ‘This is relentless…’ “I’m working alongside one more colleague at the client location, and the level of stress and anxiety we’re both going through is unbearable,” he wrote in a Reddit post. He even mentioned experiencing symptoms similar to panic attacks due to the constant pressure and unrealic expectations at the workplace. The workday, he said, stretches from 10 AM to 8:30 PM with barely an hour for lunch and tea combined. Despite this, his manager reportedly questions any slight deviation from the schedule. “Just yesterday, I was asked why I left ‘early’,” he wrote. The professional described the daily 11:30 AM stand-up call as “more of an interrogation” where the manager allegedly yells at the team regardless of the quality of work. “He constantly threatens escalations over even minor issues, creating a pressure cooker environment where we’re expected to operate at 100% efficiency all the time,” he said. Adding to the stress is the lack of personal time. According to him, weekends offer no respite either, with an unspoken rule that employees should be available and working. “There’s absolutely no room to push back or question anything,” he said, calling the culture “authoritarian” and dismissive of mental well-being. He also referred to his team lead and manager as “35+ y/o lifeless uncles with full of family issues who stay in office 10+ hours and are fully operable on weekends,” implying that their work style contributes to the toxic environment. Take a look at the post: Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “No amount of money will be able to compensate for the toxic environment. I believe you also feel suffocated because I was in the position as yours. I quit the job in the same month and it was the best decision.” Another comment suggested, “3-year contract, can you just abscond since just did 2 months? Say, your dadi is terminally ill and you need to take care of her. Then, they will send you some stern warnings and maybe you ignore those?” Also read: Rejected for being too punctual? Man loses job for arriving 25 minutes before interview