A viral LinkedIn post by social entrepreneur Kiran Verma sparked a debate after he shared his encounter with a 56-year-old Porter delivery partner. The man, formerly an employee at an insurance company for 14 years, was laid off and now struggles with ageism in his job search, comparing experienced employees to discarded "curry leaves."
A LinkedIn post by social entrepreneur Kiran Verma prompted a debate on layoffs, ageism in recruiting, and the difficulties many experienced professionals endure after losing their employment. The article describes Verma's interaction with a 56-year-old Porter delivery partner in Noida, who stated he was laid off after 14 years with an insurance business.
In the post, Verma mentioned that he had scheduled a Porter delivery to convey an urgent mail within Noida for only ₹40. He stated that an old delivery rider appeared to receive the mail. He instructed the delivery partner to come upstairs because he was getting dressed and resided on the first level. Despite some difficulty, the rider—whom Verma identified as Manoj—climbed the steps, turned down a water offer, and grinned as he handed over the box.
Verma recalled the man smiling and saying, "Aaj kaam hi nahi tha, wait kar raha tha kaam ke liye (There was no work today. I was waiting for a delivery request)."
Related Articles
Verma said the rider appeared well-dressed and spoke in a polished manner, prompting him to call the man back after he left. "I called him in and asked him to sit to relax," Verma wrote.
Manoj allegedly informed Verma during their talk that he had spent 14 years working at Tata AIA Life Insurance's administration department before being let off during a wave of layoffs in 2023.
Verma stated that he was unable to evaluate Manoj's performance at work or independently confirm the precise cause of the layoff. But he claimed that the former worker made a comment that stuck with him.
"Beta jab sabzi banate hai toh curry leaf sabse pehle daalte hai, par jab sabzi khate hai toh sabse pehle curry nikalte hai," Manoj told him, comparing employees to curry leaves that add flavour during cooking but are removed before the meal is eaten.
He said that the rider also told him that he had struggled to find another full-time job because of his age and health, leading him to take up gig work as a Porter delivery partner. The entrepreneur said he paid the rider more than the delivery fee as a gesture of gratitude before seeing him off from his balcony.
A Look At Viral LinkedIn Post
The post prompted reactions from professionals, recruiters and startup founders.
Porter also responded publicly, writing, “We thank you for sharing this heartfelt post and appreciating the effort showcased by our team.”
