An employee has claimed that their company refused to pay them for a week’s work after they quit due to a “toxic” environment.
On Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace, the employee shared a post titled, “Company refused to pay because I resigned within a week due to toxic behavior.” The employee had joined a small firm with a team of around 20 people as a marketing executive at a salary of Rs 5.04 lakh per annum.
Speaking about the work culture, the employee claimed the company had a six-day work week with strict nine-hour shifts, constant surveillance through cameras installed above desks, and extreme micromanagement by the founder. “Most employees were straight out of college (so they don’t realise they are being exploited),” the employee said in the post.
Soon after, a confrontation followed when the employee said they left work 10 minutes early due to a migraine. Their manager, who worked remotely, called and shouted at them, insisting that permission was required before leaving and that the full nine-hour shift must be completed daily. The employee claimed the manager warned that failure to comply would make things “hell” for them.
Fearing further mistreatment, the employee decided to quit within a week. However, they claimed that the company later refused to pay for the days worked, telling them they should be “thankful” that no dues were being claimed from their side.
Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations shared by the employee appear to show the company citing policy to deny payment. When the employee asked for clarification, the HR representative responded that it was “mandatory to give 15 days of notice” even during probation and reiterated that the company was not claiming anything from the employee despite waiting a month for their joining.
The employee pushed back, alleging disrespectful behaviour and said that the decision to leave was not personal but due to workplace conduct. “Hiring employees is not the same as owning them,” the message read, adding that they would be willing to take the matter public.
Several Reddit users expressed scepticism about the chances of recovering the payment, saying: “Don’t think these kinds of companies are going to pay you.”
Others advised documenting all communication and escalating the issue, while many others recommended recording calls and asking the company to point to specific clauses in the contract.
What is your take on this?