"None of this is okay," warned a Bengaluru startup founder in a viral social media post targeting toxic Indian corporate cultures. A Bengaluru-based startup founder has sparked an intense corporate debate online after calling out the "toxic s**t" that has become deeply normalised within Indian workplaces. In a viral LinkedIn post, she sharply criticised five prevalent but toxic habits, including midnight corporate calls, weekend meetings, explosive public humiliation, and sudden Friday-evening emergencies.The Bengaluru founder’s post has resonated with many on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn/Aloona)“Toxic shit that is normalised in Indian workplaces, but shouldn’t be,” Bengaluru founder Aloona wrote. She then outlined five prevalent yet problematic practices that occur in Indian workplaces.Also Read: Startup founder reacts with inappropriate emoji after candidate cancels interview“Screaming at people, abusing people, belittling people in front of others, in standup meetings. Don't even get me started on sales meetings, OMG!” she wrote, adding, “The entire company having to optimize their schedule around that one leader who decides to wake up at 2 pm and call people at midnight. Like w**?”She also talked about how employees often complain about getting calls from workplaces while they are sick, in the hospital, or grieving. “You are my slave, I own all your time.”In the LinkedIn post, the founder further explained, “Having regular standups on weekends, not one-off, urgent things but regular weekly standups when officially the JD said 5 days working.”As the last point, she added, “Bosses chilling and taking smoke breaks all day and suddenly realising at Friday 5 pm that everything is now ‘Urgent’.”She called out the practices, adding that “none of this is okay. None of this should be okay.”The founder concluded her post with advice for the employees. “If you are being told you need to grow up and develop a thicker skin - remember they are the problem, not you!”What did social media say?An individual, whose LinkedIn profile says he’s a certified therapist, wrote, “As a therapist, I genuinely think many people underestimate how deeply workplace environments shape emotional well-being, self-worth, and even nervous system functioning over time. The problem is that toxic behaviour becomes so normalised that people start questioning their own reactions instead of the environment itself. Constant humiliation, unpredictability, lack of boundaries, and emotional pressure are not ‘professionalism’ or ‘high performance’; they are chronic stressors. Important conversation.”A brand communication and marketing expert posted, “Absolutely. Somewhere along the way, many workplaces confused pressure with performance and availability with commitment. Professionalism should never require humiliation, constant accessibility, or the sacrifice of personal well-being. Respect isn't a perk at work, it's the minimum standard.”Also Read: Founder recalls bizarre VC pitch: Investor joined late, then argued with woman on bedA lifestyle coach expressed, “This is the sad reality of many Indian organisations. Abuse has become the norm and pulling people down seems okay. As someone working in the field of employee stress management, I have heard/seen it all, and more. There are a few leaders who don't even want a culture shift. Many now realise the gravity of the situation and are trying to bring about change. Long way to go.”Another founder weighed in and commented, “What disturbs me most isn't that these things happen...it's that we've built entire cultures around calling them virtues. Sacrifice your boundaries? That's commitment. Run yourself into the ground? That's hustle. Tolerate what you shouldn't? That's leadership. A workplace that demands your dignity as the price of belonging was never worth belonging to.”Aloona is a co-founder at Mindbun. The company helps people find “exceptional therapists.”Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism.