'How can you be sleeping?': Startup employee's viral post fuels work-life balance debate

A startup employee's Reddit post alleging that his employer reprimanded his mother after he missed a late-night work call has gone viral, reigniting discussions around toxic workplace culture, unpaid overtime, and professional boundaries. 

The employee, who said he earns ₹23,000 a month, claimed he was criticised for falling asleep after working an entire day and later putting in extra hours to meet an urgent deadline.

In the now-viral Reddit post titled "My startup questioned my professionalism because I slept after working all day. Need advice," the employee said he worked from 9 am to 6 pm before continuing to work late into the night because of a project deadline. According to him, the team expected everyone to remain available until around 2 am.

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The employee explained that after spending the day in front of a computer screen, he developed severe eye strain and took medicine before going to sleep. Later that night, the company allegedly initiated a WhatsApp group call, which repeatedly rang until his mother answered because he was asleep.

According to the post, instead of simply asking about his whereabouts, the callers allegedly questioned his professionalism in front of his mother.

"They told my mother that this is a full-time role, asked how I could be sleeping, and said it was a sign of unprofessionalism," the employee wrote, adding that the incident made him deeply uncomfortable. He acknowledged that urgent deadlines may sometimes require employees to work beyond regular hours but argued that involving his family crossed a professional boundary.

Seeking advice from fellow Reddit users, he asked whether he was overreacting or if resigning from the company would be the right decision.

Social media reaction

The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments, with many users criticising the startup's alleged conduct. Several argued that expecting employees to remain available until 2 am after a full workday amounted to exploitation, particularly given the employee's reported monthly salary of ₹23,000.

One user commented, "No, they are the one who has been unprofessional. First of all, a professional way of communication is through Teams or email. Better quit and start looking for better jobs"

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Another user wrote, "My friend. My labour gets paid more than you and they get lunch and tea and one hour break from a 9-hour workday. You're being exploited."

The third user commented, "Take this as a lesson. You have to be thick-skinned if you have to survive in Indian companies. Most have a pretty bad work culture. Introspect and figure out which things matter the most to you like pay, work-life balance, etc and start planning how you will get there."