A product designer named Shreyas revealed on Reddit that he resigned on his first day at a new job due to the toxic behavior of his manager and unreasonable demands. He shared a screenshot of his resignation email, which quickly went viral.
Shreyas explained that despite accepting a job with below-industry pay for the benefit of working remotely, he soon realized his boss had extreme expectations. His manager expected him to work overtime without additional compensation and dismissed the idea of work-life balance as a "fancy term" tied to "Western developed nation behavior."
See The Reddit Post Here: Link
Starting his job on October 7, Shreyas was shocked when his boss demanded that he work beyond the agreed nine hours per day. The excessive demands and the manager’s attitude led him to quit on his very first day. He shared his story online to emphasize the importance of standing up against toxic workplaces.
In his post, Shreyas recounted how his manager mocked him when he tried to set boundaries, ridiculing his need for time to read and exercise. The manager called work-life balance an "excuse" and expected him to work 12 to 14 hours a day without compensation. Shreyas added that while he was open to occasional overtime, the personal attacks and belittling behavior from his boss made the environment unbearable.
Frustrated, Shreyas resigned, detailing the issues in his resignation letter, which he shared online. He criticized his boss for being unprofessional, stating that personal time for activities like exercising, reading, or spending time with family should not be subject to criticism.
Shreyas also called out his boss’s "intimidating" tone when demanding unpaid overtime and highlighted how such demands were part of a broader national conversation about toxic workplaces. He concluded his resignation by challenging his boss to dispute the claims.
After sharing his resignation letter on Reddit, users praised Shreyas for standing up for himself.
One commenter said, "Proud of you. Wish I had done it early in my career," while another praised the well-written email, calling it one of the best they’d ever read.
Another joked that the boss might soon post on LinkedIn, lamenting how young employees today won’t "slave away" like they used to.