Employee who worked 10 hours a day gets laid off without warning: 'Spent Rs 30K from my savings, worked weekends'

Time of India

26-07-2025

Community Responses to the Experience
A young intern, who had relocated from their hometown to Gurgaon in search of a promising career opportunity, recently shared their distressing experience online. The individual had joined a company with high hopes, expecting to learn and grow under the direct supervision of the company's founder. Committed to the role, the intern invested long working hours—between 10 and 12 hours each day—without complaint and even stepped in to support operations over the weekends whenever needed.Despite the intense workload and dedication shown throughout the internship, the experience ended abruptly and without warning. The company unexpectedly terminated the intern's position after just 23 days. The reason given was that a significant client, whose business greatly contributed to the company's revenue, had decided to sever ties, resulting in a sudden downturn for the firm. Without notice or consideration for the intern's efforts, the management decided to let them go.The intern had initially been assured that their hard work would pay off, with the promise of a permanent role after three months and a starting salary of Rs 40,000. However, this assurance quickly crumbled, leaving the intern feeling betrayed, deeply disappointed, and regretful about placing trust in the founder's words. They expressed how disheartening it is to face unemployment in a costly city like Gurgaon, especially amid an already challenging job market. They also revealed they had spent Rs 30K of their savings.The intern posted their story on the popular online forum Indian Workplace, where several users empathized with their situation. Some advised against being overwhelmed by negativity, suggesting that daily applications on platforms like LinkedIn—despite the prevalence of questionable listings—could still result in a few genuine interview calls each month.Others commented on the volatile nature of startups in Gurgaon, comparing them to small street food vendors—profitable only when business is booming, but quick to shut down and cut costs during downturns. They recommended pursuing opportunities with multinational corporations (MNCs) or larger startups with structured systems, ideally in more stable cities such as Bangalore or Pune, where professional environments are more consistent and employee-friendly.