India, July 8 -- A young professional earning Rs.23,000 a month has sparked an intense online debate about toxic corporate culture after revealing how his startup violated personal boundaries. After completing a standard 9 AM to 6 PM shift, the employee went to sleep due to eye strain and medication, missing an impromptu 2 AM deadline call. When the persistent ringing woke the employee's mother, she answered the phone only to be lectured by the startup team. The management aggressively questioned why her child was sleeping during a "full-time role" and explicitly labelled the behaviour as highly unprofessional.

"My startup questioned my professionalism because I slept after working all day. Need advice," the employee wrote, adding, "Last...