New Delhi, Dec. 23 -- A Reddit post describing how an employee was placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) after four years of glowing reviews has gone viral, igniting a wider debate on workplace burnout, overwork and the risks of speaking up in corporate environments.

In the post, the anonymous user says they gradually took on a heavy workload far beyond their job description, largely out of necessity. Trouble began when a major assignment pushed them beyond capacity. The employee says they informed management, eventually resolved the issue independently, and assumed the matter was closed.

However, a change in leadership altered the outcome. According to the post, the previous manager had even considered reclassifying the role t...