"Camera on all day": Indian engineering student rejects lucrative internship over odd demand of US firm

An Indian engineering student declined a US internship offer due to the company's requirement to keep his webcam on throughout the workday. 

Image Credit: Asianet News

A third-year Indian engineering student recently shared a shocking experience on Reddit, where he revealed that he turned down an internship offer from a US-based company due to an intrusive demand.

The company, which mostly employs Indian workers, offered the student a full-stack developer internship with a stipend of Rs 35-40k and the possibility of a full-time position with a salary of Rs 12 lakh per annum. Although the compensation was attractive, the student was taken aback when the employers made a bizarre request.

Bizarre demand

They demanded that the student keep his webcam on throughout his workday, citing the need for constant monitoring. Despite the student's attempts to negotiate, the company refused to budge. Feeling uneasy and uncomfortable with the demand, the student decided to reject the offer.

However, he soon began to doubt his decision, as friends and seniors advised him that he might not receive another offer as good. Taking to Reddit, the student sought validation and advice from the community.

“But after asking everyone, now some friends and seniors are saying I should accept the offer as I come from a tier 3 college and getting such kind of offers is difficult for me. Did I make the right choice? Or I am gonna regret this?” he asked Reddit.

Positive response

The response was overwhelmingly in his favour, with many users praising him for standing up for his boundaries and warning him about the potential risks of working for a company that prioritizes micromanagement over employee comfort.

One user commented, "Nope. Nope, just tell them where they can stick their little offer." Another added, "They are going to make your life a living nightmare as time goes on. If they are trying to micromanage your work by keeping the camera on, it is just going to get worse."

The student's decision to prioritize his mental health and well-being over the attractive offer has been widely applauded. As one user put it, "Camera on at all times means you will work as a slave. I think their productivity metric measurement is off. Given your skills, you will find something else."

It seems like the work culture is slowly evolving as the current generation mostly value work-life balance as much as the pay cheque.