Start-Up Manager's Viral WhatsApp Message Announcing Sunday As Holiday Sparks Debate On India’s Toxic Work Culture

Viral Reddit Post: For most people around the world, Sunday is automatically a day of rest, no announcements needed. But when one company decided to officially declare Sunday as a 'holiday,' employees and now the internet couldn’t stop reacting. The story began when a man shared a post on Reddit about his previous workplace, a mid-sized startup that apparently didn’t believe in weekends or even festival breaks. According to him, the company made employees work through Saturdays, Sundays, and even on national holidays like Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan, and Diwali.

To everyone’s surprise, the manager one day sent a WhatsApp message that read like a reward:
“Dear Team, This is to inform you that tomorrow will be an official holiday for everyone. Please take this opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy your Sunday to the fullest. We look forward to seeing you refreshed and energised when we resume work. Wishing you a restful day ahead!”

The Reddit user explained that the company was run by five 25-26-year-old founders who lived together in a 5BHK penthouse, which also doubled as their office. “I used to work in this startup, midsize startup I guess (40-50 people)... Outside work, they were all so chill af and good human beings but still had such a toxic work culture,” he shared.

He added that the company had promised him two work-from-home Saturdays every month, but later made him work from the founders’ home instead. “Ye saab sehen nai huwa to chood diyaa (Couldn’t take all that, so I left),” he wrote, summing up his experience.

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Watch The Viral Post:

Culture so toxic that even he has to announce that "Sunday is officially a holiday"
byu/Medical_Action_ inIndianWorkplace

The post quickly went viral after being shared on Reddit by the page ‘Medical_Action_’, drawing significant views in just a day. Online users were left divided; some found the WhatsApp message hilariously triggering, while others called it a sad reflection of India’s growing toxic work culture and lack of work-life balance.

"I don’t know what’s up with this. Indian start-ups, which want their employees to work hard like Saturday and Sunday, on holidays, but they don’t want to pay for that overtime, also, there are no ESOPs or path to partnerships. But they want employees to take ownership and work like it’s their business," a user wrote.

"At this point, I am convinced that all start-ups are toxic. Unless they have given me some percentage of their company share, I would never sacrifice my physical and mental health for them," a second user wrote. "Congrats, we've reached peak corporate culture — holidays need an official announcement now. Next up: getting approval for taking a chai break. Stay strong, folks!" wrote a third user.

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"Culture has to be made. It has to be curated. It is like a small plant sapling that you nourish every day. And for that, you need a good HR. You need an HR leader who can take on the company management hands-on and advocates and also executes the inculcation of a God Culture," added a fourth user.