A late-night WhatsApp message from a manager has triggered a debate on work culture after an employee posted about the incident on Reddit’s Indian Workplace forum. The employee shared that their boss sent a strongly-worded message on the team’s group chat around 10 pm, leaving the entire team unsettled and unsure how to respond.
According to the post, the team had been working on design concepts for an upcoming event centred on a refined Bollywood theme. Their initial ideas were dismissed, and the manager demanded a more vivid and distinctly Bollywood-inspired direction. Soon after, the group received a lengthy message criticising the team’s output. The manager expressed frustration over what he saw as inconsistent standards and urged the team to raise the quality of their work. He also made it clear that those unable to keep up with the expectations could step aside without conflict.
The message ended with a challenge: either the team bcould match the level he believed they were capable of, or continue producing work that, in his view, fell short. He closed by urging them to at least meet him halfway in effort and creativity.
The employee who made the post said they were torn between responding with a constructive message or choosing silence and focusing on improving the work. They sought suggestions on what an appropriate response may look like.
The discussion quickly drew strong reactions. Many Reddit users said the manager’s tone crossed professional boundaries, especially given the timing and the public nature of the message. Others felt that responding directly may escalate the situation and recommended disengagement, stronger boundaries, or a calm conversation at a more appropriate time.