‘Work Weekends, Stay Alert 24/7’: Employee’s Viral Reddit Post on Toxic Work Culture Sparks Debate

A Reddit post from an employee detailing expectations to work up to 20 hours a day and be available 24/7 has sparked a major conversation about toxic work culture in India. The viral thread on r/IndianWorkplace drew hundreds of comments, with users sharing similar experiences and advising the original poster on how to handle such extreme demands.

A Reddit thread emphasising severe workplace demands spawned a larger conversation about work culture in India, with hundreds of people commenting on long hours, weekend work, and the rising need to be continuously accessible. The topic began after a member recounted their experience of being required to work weekends and remain "alert for 24 hours". The employee posted a candid question on the subreddit r/IndianWorkplace: is it time to go, or is this just something professionals have to put up with?

The user, who claimed to have over eight years of work experience, stated that similar criteria had been in place since they joined the organization a year ago. According to the article, working long hours — sometimes up to 20 hours per day — as well as replying to late-night messages and being available on weekends has become the norm.

“Pretty much everything like working for 20 hours and availability on weekends are normalised here. Is it time to quit or is this a normal thing that should be ignored?” the user wrote.

The employee did not identify the business, but the post rapidly went viral, eliciting replies from people who believed the situation was similar. The responses varied from practical counsel to outright outrage with what many regarded as poisonous workplace demands.

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Several commentators advised the employee to consider quitting, claiming that such expectations seldom change once they become part of the workplace culture.

“Want 24x7 availability? Pay for 24x7 availability,” one user wrote, echoing a widely shared sentiment about fair compensation. Another person recommended pushing back directly: “Ask him whether he would be accessible 24 hours a day. Continue to message him late at night while you work. If he does not respond, call him and provide status updates.”

Some responses took a more sarcastic tone. “LOL. 24 hrs is wild. All you will get at the end is a bouquet of flowers, if lucky,” one comment read.

Others raised questions about accountability and labour regulations. “Ask him if he's paying you for 24 hrs?” another user wrote.

Another suggested highlighting the impracticality of such expectations by mirroring them: “Call him at 3 AM and give him updates! Setup meetings at 1 AM and 4 AM to go through stuff you’ve worked during late night.”