A Bengaluru-based startup founder has sparked a heated discussion online after calling out workplace practices she believes have become deeply normalised in many Indian offices.In a LinkedIn post that has gone viral, Aloona, co-founder of Mindbun, listed five workplace practices she believes should not be accepted as standard professional behaviour. Her criticism ranged from late-night calls and weekend meetings to public humiliation and last-minute emergencies.'Toxic shit that is normalised in Indian workplaces'"Toxic shit that is normalised in Indian workplaces, but shouldn’t be," Aloona wrote before detailing the practices she finds problematic.One of her strongest criticisms was directed at leaders who publicly berate employees."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**?"Calls during illness, grief and personal emergenciesThe founder also highlighted how employees are often expected to remain available even when they are unwell or dealing with personal crises."You are my slave, I own all your time."Her remarks resonated with many professionals who said workplace boundaries are frequently ignored in the pursuit of productivity.Weekend meetings becoming the normAloona also criticised companies that routinely schedule work on weekends despite officially operating on a five-day workweek."Having regular standups on weekends, not one-off, urgent things but regular weekly standups when officially the JD said 5 days working."She argued that such practices blur the line between professional commitments and personal time.Friday-evening emergencies under fireThe final item on her list targeted managers who delay decisions and then create urgency at the end of the week."Bosses chilling and taking smoke breaks all day and suddenly realising at Friday 5 pm that everything is now ‘Urgent’."Calling out these workplace habits, she added that "none of this is okay. None of this should be okay."A message for employeesAloona concluded her post with a message aimed at workers who are often told to tolerate harsh treatment in the name of professional growth."If you are being told you need to grow up and develop a thicker skin - remember they are the problem, not you!"LinkedIn users share their experiencesThe post quickly gained traction, drawing comments from professionals across industries who echoed her concerns.One LinkedIn user, who identified himself as 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."'Respect isn't a perk, it's the minimum standard'A brand communication and marketing expert also weighed in, saying: "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."'Abuse has become the norm'A lifestyle coach highlighted the broader cultural challenge, writing: "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."Founder says toxic behaviour is often celebratedAnother founder argued that unhealthy workplace practices are often glorified rather than challenged."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 the co-founder of Mindbun, a platform that helps people find and connect with therapists.