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Economic Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
‘Abuse, fear and no lunch breaks': Zepto's ex-contract worker alleges harassment in Reddit post
A former contract worker at Zepto has accused the quick-commerce startup of fostering a toxic and abusive work environment. In a widely shared Reddit post, the graduate described facing long hours, verbal intimidation, and a complete lack of HR support, calling the experience 'psychological warfare.' Zepto clarified the individual was employed through a third-party vendor and not on its official payroll. The controversy has reignited discussions on workplace culture following previous remarks by CEO Aadit Palicha on work-life balance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads No lunch breaks, no holidays, no support Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Zepto denies direct involvement Previous work culture claims still linger Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads An ex-contractual employee at Zepto has gone public with disturbing claims about their time at the fast-growing quick-commerce startup, describing the experience as nothing short of 'psychological warfare.' The detailed Reddit post, now widely circulated, paints a picture of relentless work hours, abusive management, and a void of institutional support.'I was broke, jobless and desperate,' the user wrote, explaining why they took up the job. Their post, reportedly written with the help of ChatGPT, chronicles an emotionally draining routine and what they described as a constant climate of fear, as reported by the post, the former worker described a grueling schedule, 'Six days a week, sometimes all seven. 9 AM to 8 PM, occasionally later. No lunch break some days. No holidays. No structure. If someone from the team took a break, it was fine—but if I took one, I'd get a call from a senior asking why I'm not 'committed',' they individual claimed they were isolated in the system because they were hired on a contract basis and therefore had no access to Zepto's HR mechanisms. 'That's not a job. That's psychological warfare,' they post details more than overwork—it points to direct and repeated intimidation. 'One manager literally started making hand gestures as if he was going to slap or punch me—repeatedly. He never hit me, but the intimidation was constant,' the user added, 'That feeling of being trapped, of never knowing when the shouting might turn into something physical... that's trauma.''I used to freeze at my desk, scared, anxious, and helpless,' they wrote. According to the post, even on the employee's final working day, there was no compassion from the company. 'The HR showed zero empathy,' they claimed, noting they had a fever but were still asked to return the company laptop within an to the controversy, Zepto told that the issue stemmed from a third-party vendor, not the company's official team. 'The issue is pertaining to a contractual employee and that particular vendor's ecosystem. No on-roll Zepto employee is directly involved in this incident,' a source familiar with the situation distinction, while significant on paper, has done little to calm the rising wave of criticism directed at the startup's workplace isn't the first time Zepto has been at the centre of a workplace culture row. Just months ago, in December, CEO Aadit Palicha stirred controversy following another Reddit post that accused the company of toxic practices. The timing of that post coincided with online debates around extreme working hours and startup then 22, responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a statement that many saw as dismissive. 'I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors,' he backlash, he added clarification: 'FYI, not my quote - read it from an interview of Daksh Gupta.' Gupta, an Indian-origin tech CEO based in San Francisco, had recently faced sharp criticism for promoting 84-hour workweeks at his AI Zepto has distanced itself from the latest allegations by pointing to the contractor arrangement, the underlying issues—workplace treatment, lack of accountability, and rising burnout—remain unresolved. For many, the story reinforces concerns that aggressive growth in India's startup ecosystem is often built on the back of vulnerable and unsupported the Reddit post continues to circulate, the scrutiny over how young companies treat their people—regardless of employment status—appears far from over.(Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on Reddit. has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of Reader discretion is advised.)
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Abuse, fear and no lunch breaks': Zepto's ex-contract worker alleges harassment in Reddit post
A former contract worker at Zepto has accused the quick-commerce startup of fostering a toxic and abusive work environment. In a widely shared Reddit post, the graduate described facing long hours, verbal intimidation, and a complete lack of HR support, calling the experience 'psychological warfare.' Zepto clarified the individual was employed through a third-party vendor and not on its official payroll. The controversy has reignited discussions on workplace culture following previous remarks by CEO Aadit Palicha on work-life balance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads No lunch breaks, no holidays, no support Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Zepto denies direct involvement Previous work culture claims still linger An ex-contractual employee at Zepto has gone public with disturbing claims about their time at the fast-growing quick-commerce startup, describing the experience as nothing short of 'psychological warfare.' The detailed Reddit post, now widely circulated, paints a picture of relentless work hours, abusive management, and a void of institutional support.'I was broke, jobless and desperate,' the user wrote, explaining why they took up the job. Their post, reportedly written with the help of ChatGPT, chronicles an emotionally draining routine and what they described as a constant climate of fear, as reported by the post, the former worker described a grueling schedule, 'Six days a week, sometimes all seven. 9 AM to 8 PM, occasionally later. No lunch break some days. No holidays. No structure. If someone from the team took a break, it was fine—but if I took one, I'd get a call from a senior asking why I'm not 'committed',' they individual claimed they were isolated in the system because they were hired on a contract basis and therefore had no access to Zepto's HR mechanisms. 'That's not a job. That's psychological warfare,' they post details more than overwork—it points to direct and repeated intimidation. 'One manager literally started making hand gestures as if he was going to slap or punch me—repeatedly. He never hit me, but the intimidation was constant,' the user added, 'That feeling of being trapped, of never knowing when the shouting might turn into something physical... that's trauma.''I used to freeze at my desk, scared, anxious, and helpless,' they wrote. According to the post, even on the employee's final working day, there was no compassion from the company. 'The HR showed zero empathy,' they claimed, noting they had a fever but were still asked to return the company laptop within an to the controversy, Zepto told that the issue stemmed from a third-party vendor, not the company's official team. 'The issue is pertaining to a contractual employee and that particular vendor's ecosystem. No on-roll Zepto employee is directly involved in this incident,' a source familiar with the situation distinction, while significant on paper, has done little to calm the rising wave of criticism directed at the startup's workplace isn't the first time Zepto has been at the centre of a workplace culture row. Just months ago, in December, CEO Aadit Palicha stirred controversy following another Reddit post that accused the company of toxic practices. The timing of that post coincided with online debates around extreme working hours and startup then 22, responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a statement that many saw as dismissive. 'I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors,' he backlash, he added clarification: 'FYI, not my quote - read it from an interview of Daksh Gupta.' Gupta, an Indian-origin tech CEO based in San Francisco, had recently faced sharp criticism for promoting 84-hour workweeks at his AI Zepto has distanced itself from the latest allegations by pointing to the contractor arrangement, the underlying issues—workplace treatment, lack of accountability, and rising burnout—remain unresolved. For many, the story reinforces concerns that aggressive growth in India's startup ecosystem is often built on the back of vulnerable and unsupported the Reddit post continues to circulate, the scrutiny over how young companies treat their people—regardless of employment status—appears far from over.
