Bengaluru techie hospitalised after CEO's outburst on video call, shares traumatic post

A harrowing account shared on Reddit by a Bengaluru techie has sparked concern around workplace abuse in India's tech startup ecosystem.The techie, in the post shared on the Reddit account r/IndianWorkplace, described their traumatic experience after working at a 'small event discovery startup' in Bengaluru as a junior data scientist, claiming that they suffered relentless psychological harassment during their tenure.advertisementIn the post titled 'I had a complete breakdown during a work video call because my CEO kept screaming - still dealing with the trauma,' the techie recounted seven months of mental torture under a non-technical CEO who 'micromanaged everything, imposed unrealistic deadlines, and yelled constantly'.
Writing about their 'psychological torture', the Bengaluru techie added that their CEO had 'zero technical background but believed he was a data science expert'.'He'd create these completely unrealistic deadlines from thin air, change project requirements whenever he felt like it, and then lose his complete mind when reality didn't match his delusions,' the techie said, adding: 'Every. Single. Day. This chap demanded I explain every minute detail of my work directly to him. If my explanation wasn't flawless, or if he couldn't understand something technical, he would completely explode. I'm talking about full-scale screaming sessions where he'd destroy me both professionally and personally.'advertisementDespite working 12-14 hour days, weekends included, the techie said they were constantly belittled and publicly humiliated. Things, however, took a dark turn during a Google Meet, held a week after their resignation.'I tried desperately to address his points professionally, but he just kept escalating. Yelling louder and louder. The verbal attack was so brutal that I literally couldn't breathe properly. My chest started tightening, I began struggling for air, and I completely collapsed in my chair. Thank God, my mother heard the chaos from the adjacent room and rushed me to the hospital immediately,' they added.But the trauma didn't end with the resignation. The company's HR - a one-person department – had a rather cold response to the medical emergency, portraying basic legal obligations like final settlement and experience letters as favours.'Then they intentionally delayed my Provident Fund paperwork for months, ignoring my respectful follow-ups. It felt like deliberate sabotage designed to harm my career opportunities. Anyone who's worked in India knows how crucial smooth PF transfers are, and toxic companies love creating obstacles in this process,' the techie added.'I still get flashbacks. This man made me question my skills, my worth, everything,' the employee said, adding that the CEO even brought a young intern to tears in a similar outburst.advertisementRead the entire post here:
The Bengaluru techie concluded their post with a message of solidarity for those suffering in silence: 'If someone consistently makes you feel worthless, the issue is with them, not you. Your mental health is more important than any salary.'Tune InMust Watch

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