'Cried on Google Meet; that’s how bad it got': Bengaluru techie quits job after alleged workplace humiliation

Bengaluru: A young software engineer’s emotional story of workplace distress has gone viral on LinkedIn, sparking conversations about toxic work culture in India’s tech industry. The engineer reportedly quit his job after months of mental strain, emotional breakdowns, and public humiliation from the senior.

In a LinkedIn post shared by another user, the engineer revealed that he broke down during a virtual meeting after merely asking for project clarity. “I cried on a G-Meet because I asked for clarity on a project. That’s how bad it got,” he was quoted as saying.

According to the post, the engineer was given no formal onboarding or project structure. Expectations were vague and unreasonable, with constant pressure to "figure it out." Instead of support, he said he was subjected to public shaming when he failed to meet unclear standards.

“We’ve stopped hoping for appreciation,” he said. “Now, we just hope we aren’t shamed in front of everyone.”

The post also alleged that the manager frequently called at odd hours dismissed concerns, and habitually blamed employees. Upon resigning, the manager’s parting words were, “Good luck finding another job. Let’s see how long you last there.”

The viral post concluded with a stark reminder: “People don’t leave companies. They leave environments where their dignity is no longer safe. A bad manager can make a dream job hell. A good one can make even a messy job feel meaningful.”

The incident has ignited fresh debate online about the mental health toll of poor leadership and unstructured work environments in high-pressure sectors like tech.