October 12, 2025

Ever heard the phrase 'toxic workplace'? For a young software professional in Bengaluru, this wasn’t just a phrase—it was his harsh reality. He joined a Singapore-based tech firm near Mahadevapura in July 2023 as an Associate Developer, excited and hopeful, with a package of 5–6 LPA. But soon, his dream job turned into a nightmare. The trouble began during training. The instructor was fearsome, throwing intimidating remarks and even threatening to fire employees on the spot. Our young developer bravely told her, "such behavior was unprofessional," but that only made him the center of her wrath. She blamed him for mistakes he didn’t make and humiliated him in front of the whole batch. Imagine starting your career with such mental torture! Despite the emotional exhaustion, he hung on, believing things would improve once he was assigned to a project. But no luck! After three months of training, even his team life was filled with pressure and stress. His mental health suffered, and he decided to put an end to this suffering by resigning. But then came the real fight—the HR refused to accept his resignation. They claimed he was stuck in a two-year contract and must pay ₹1.5 lakh to leave. Shockingly, he had never signed any such contract! Threats about damaging his career and higher education hopes followed. Not one to be scared, he contacted legal experts and Karnataka labour authorities who backed him up. Confident in his rights, he returned the company laptop, sent his resignation via email, and walked out. Yet, the company never gave him an experience letter or even acknowledged his departure. Adding insult to injury, the very trainer who harassed him still works there, reportedly with little technical skill and relying on Google to fix coding tasks! This brave professional shared his story on the Indian Workplace subreddit to wake everyone up. His golden advice? "Always keep written proof, never fear or bow to manipulation, seek legal help before paying anything, and remember, no salary or title is worth your peace of mind." His candid post touched many Reddit users who revealed their own battles with toxic offices and uncertain careers, reminding us all that mental health at work is priceless.

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Tags: Workplace toxicity, Mental health, It jobs, Legal rights, Employee harassment, Job resignation,