Works 12-hour days, cries every night; CEO’s post on overworked employee sparks debate

A social media post by Mishka Rana, founder and CEO of Iconify Consulting Group, has reignited debate around toxic corporate culture and employee exploitation, after she shared the story of a friend allegedly forced to work punishing hours despite earning a respectable salary.

Rana said her friend, who works at a well-known insurance company and earns ₹12 lakh per annum, is expected to work 12-hour days, respond to work calls late into the night, and even log in on weekends. Despite her official hours being 9 am to 7 pm, her boss reportedly demands she continue working until 10 pm daily, leaving her little time to rest or recover. Rana stated that the boss regularly insults her friend during meetings and continues to assign weekend work without respite.

This is how “corporate culture” quietly breaks people:

One of my friends works at a known insurance company in B2B segment. (12 LPA)

Her boss:
- expects her to work till 10pm everyday (after 9-7)
- wants her to pick calls till 11pm
- demands to work on weekends
- insults her…

— MISHKA RANA (@RanaMishka) November 10, 2025

The woman, according to Rana, endures this treatment because she cannot afford to resign. She is bound by monthly EMIs and an education loan, which make quitting financially impossible. Rana said the pressure has taken a severe toll on her friend’s mental health, adding that she “breaks down every day” but continues to comply out of fear of losing her job.

The post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), has gone viral and prompted widespread outrage online, with users calling it a case of workplace bullying rather than corporate discipline. Many argued that such practices are becoming alarmingly common in India’s corporate ecosystem, where long hours and verbal humiliation are often normalised as dedication.

One user described it as “corporate cruelty, not culture”, while another said many companies justify toxic behaviour as a way to “push employees to perform”, without realising the long-term psychological damage it causes.

The incident has reignited broader conversations about work-life balance, mental health, and the pressures of financial dependency on salaried professionals in India’s urban workforce.