Man quits job on day 1 after Indian boss expects overtime without pay, shares resignation letter on social media

Amid the debate over work-life balance gaining momentum, a product designer resigned on the very first day of his job following his boss asked him to work beyond normal working hours without compensation, reported News18.

Apart from this, the boss also dismissed the concept of work-life balance by referring it as a 'fancy term' and a 'Western behaviour'. Going beyond this, the boss of pressurised the product designer to 'burn the midnight oil' in a threatening manner, which the designer found to be 'unreasonable, inhumane, and inconsiderate'.

Named as Shreyas, the product designer then went on to share his experience on Reddit and turned to the online community to refer him for UI/UX roles.

“At the end of my first day, October 7, my reporting manager made it clear that he expected unreasonable commitments—work beyond normal hours without any compensation,” Shreyas wrote on Reddit.

He added, “When I tried to establish boundaries, he mocked me for talking about ‘work-life balance’, calling it a ‘fancy term’ and ‘Western developed nation behaviour’. He also ridiculed my desire for time to read and exercise, dismissing it as an excuse.”

“Just to avoid any misunderstanding, it is not that I am unwilling to work for a minute post work hours, it’s about the personal attacks, belittling, ridiculing me for mentioning that I have a life outside of work and have hobbies like reading, underpaying, not having any overtime policy and still expecting to work over and beyond work hours every day. (12-14 hour workday every day). I am mature enough to understand there’s a difference between exploitation, toxic environment and those that aren’t,” he further explained.

Earlier, he was offered the role of an Associate Product Designer with a package of ₹7 LPA, which according to him was less citing his two years of experience. But citing the job was fully remote, he took the offer.

In his post, he also attached a screenshot of his resignation email in which he expressed serious concerns about his boss’s approach to work. “You’ve repeatedly made remarks about my activities outside of work hours, which I believe is highly inappropriate and unprofessional. What I choose to do in my personal time – whether it is exercising, spending time with my family, sleeping or reading books – is my prerogative and should not be subject to criticism,” Shreyas mentioned.

“Expecting work without fair compensation undermines both legal standards and the respect that every employee deserves,” he added

Concluding his email, Shreyas wrote, “I believe it would be best for you to find another person who is willing to meet your expectations in the manner you desire. I hope you understand my decision, as I prioritise both professionalism and respect in my work relationships.”

Boss's response:

Later, he also shared the response he received from his boss over email. The boss wrote, “Trying to close the gap between what was said and what was understood by both sides is not fruitful in this situation when there is a clear consensus on parting ways. There are definitely a few lessons that I have taken from this entire encounter, and I thank you for that.”