Long working hours, blurred personal boundaries, and performance pressure have become familiar realities for many professionals working in fast-growing startups. While flexibility and speed are often promoted as strengths of such workplaces, incidents shared by employees increasingly point to concerns around job security and work-life balance. One such case, recently shared on Reddit, has led to discussion after an employee claimed he was dismissed shortly after refusing to work over a weekend, despite having more than a decade of industry experience.
According to the Reddit post, the employee joined a four-year-old startup based in Noida around two months ago. He was hired into a senior role with responsibility for managing US e-commerce operations. Within a month of his joining, the company recruited another professional at a similar senior level to manage a different marketplace. Senior management later informed the employee that the new hire would oversee both teams.
Following this change, the newly appointed leader reportedly revised the sales strategy and significantly raised performance targets. The employee stated that he raised concerns with the company’s founders, explaining that the revised expectations did not reflect existing business conditions. However, management declined to make changes and expressed confidence in the new leader’s judgment.
Rising Targets and Workload Pressure
After the restructuring, the employee said his day-to-day work environment became increasingly restrictive. He described being closely monitored and frequently asked to extend his working hours, including late nights and weekends. What initially appeared to be occasional requests reportedly became a regular expectation.
The situation reached a breaking point when the employee informed his manager that he was unwell and would not be able to work on a Saturday. He stated that this decision was communicated in advance. When he returned to the office on Monday, he was informed that his performance was being deemed unsatisfactory.
Termination During Probation
The employee claimed that he was asked to either resign or face termination, with the company citing his probationary status. He said the reason provided was poor performance, despite having raised concerns earlier about unrealistic targets and workload pressure.
He also shared that he has 12 years of professional experience and is the sole earning member of his family. Living in rented accommodation, he said the sudden loss of employment has placed him under financial strain. He added that he is currently unemployed and actively looking for new roles.
Reddit Users React With Advice
The post prompted several responses from other Reddit users, many of whom highlighted the risks associated with startup employment. Some commenters advised professionals with dependents to be cautious when joining startups, noting that such environments often come with uncertainty and limited safety nets.
Others emphasised the importance of maintaining an emergency or “rainy day” fund. One user explained that employees should ideally keep multiple months’ worth of expenses saved, especially when working in startups. Another commenter clarified that an emergency fund generally covers around six months of monthly expenses.
A few users also attempted to offer practical help, including asking about the employee’s location and suggesting potential referral opportunities.