'No salary, graveyard shift, cold-calling 500 numbers...': Reddit user reveals she got 'scammed' by Noida start-up, netizens say 'need strict labour laws'

A Reddit user recently shared their troubling experience of joining and quickly quitting a digital marketing startup in Noida. The post, which has generated a lot of discussion on the Indian Workplace subreddit, exposes unethical practices and a toxic work environment where profit is prioritized over employee well-being.

The Reddit user shared that they joined the startup as a Business Development Executive on October 7, only to be assigned the task of cold-calling 500 numbers on their first day. Things worsened when their working hours were suddenly changed from 2pm to 11pm, and then to a late-night shift from 7pm to 4am, without any prior notice.

Feeling frustrated, the employee decided to quit the next day by calling HR, giving up on the chance to gain corporate experience. "I regretted leaving the job because I wanted corporate exposure," they shared, mentioning that although they had been freelancing successfully, they sought the stability of a corporate role.

Weeks later, the Reddit user received a call from their former Team Leader, who shockingly congratulated them for quitting early. The Team Leader disclosed that the company had unjustly withheld their salary because they couldn't meet an unrealistic target of generating $1,500 in revenue in their first month. To make matters worse, the startup had only one client, contributing a mere $300 to its total revenue. 

The Redditor concluded that the startup's business model appeared to exploit new hires by overwhelming them with work, pressuring them to resign, and then avoiding the payment of their salaries.

Despite the financial setback from the experience—like paying rent for a PG accommodation they stayed in for only five days—the Redditor found comfort in the valuable lesson it provided. "This made me work even harder on my freelancing skills. I’m now earning double what they were offering me," they shared, adding an optimistic perspective with the Hindi saying, "Jab aapke mann ka na ho, toh samjho Bhagwan ke mann ka ho raha hai" (When things don’t go your way, it’s part of God’s plan).

The post struck a chord with many, prompting users to share their own stories of narrowly avoiding similar exploitative work environments. One commenter said, “We really need strict labour laws. Companies like these should be punished for exploiting innocent people.”

Others praised the Redditor for leaving the toxic job and focusing on their personal growth. A commenter noted, “Good that you left that job. Sometimes, such experiences become valuable lessons.”