Indian employee quits job after boss dismisses work-life balance as 'western behaviour'

A product designer named Shreyas resigned on his first day at work after his boss insisted he work beyond normal hours without compensation.

Shreyas shared his experience on Reddit, detailing how his reporting manager dismissed the idea of work-life balance, labeling it a “fancy term” and a “Western behaviour.”

In his Reddit post, Shreyas stated, ““At the end of my first day, October 7, my reporting manager made it clear that he expected unreasonable commitments—work beyond normal hours without any compensation.”

He further elaborated on the mockery he faced when attempting to establish boundaries around his personal time.

He highlighted that it was not a matter of unwillingness to work late, but rather the personal attacks he received for wanting a life outside of work. “I’m mature enough to understand there’s a difference between exploitation and a healthy work environment,” he said.

Shreyas was offered a position as an Associate Product Designer with a salary of $8,400 per annum, which he considered insufficient given his two years of experience. However, he accepted the role due to its fully remote nature.

In his post, Shreyas included a screenshot of his resignation email, where he articulated his concerns regarding his boss’s conduct.

“You have repeatedly made remarks about my activities outside of work hours, which I believe is highly inappropriate and unprofessional. What I choose to do in my personal time—whether it is exercising, spending time with my family, sleeping, or reading books—is my prerogative and should not be subject to criticism,” he stated.

Later, Shreyas shared the email response he received from his boss.

In the email, the boss stated, “Trying to close the gap between what was said and what was understood by both sides is not fruitful in this situation when there is a clear consensus on parting ways. There are definitely a few lessons that I have taken from this entire encounter, and I thank you for that.”