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Mumbai mental health NGO under fire after employee claims director dismissed request amid severe period pain
The woman further shared a screenshot of what she said was the exchange with the director, in which she asked for someone to take the workshop as she had been in pain since the previous day and needed rest.
The woman further shared a screenshot of what she said was the exchange with the director, in which she asked for someone to take the workshop as she had been in pain since the previous day and needed rest.
A woman has alleged workplace insensitivity at a Mumbai-based mental health NGO after claiming that the organisation’s director rejected her request to skip a Sunday workshop despite what she described as unbearable period pain, according to a Reddit post that has triggered widespread online reaction.
In the post, the woman stated that the NGO conducts online workshops every Sunday in collaboration with another organisation, even though official working hours are Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. She informed that the same week also included a two-day training programme for college staff held on Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 4.30 pm, which she said she attended despite being in severe pain due to her period, completing all assigned responsibilities.
She stated that following the two-day programme, she requested a colleague to take over the one-hour Sunday workshop so that she could rest. According to her account, the director responded curtly, offering no concern for her health, no acknowledgement of the work completed over the previous two days, and no flexibility, despite the organisation working in suicide prevention and mental health.
The woman further shared a screenshot of what she said was the exchange with the director, in which she asked for someone to take the workshop as she had been in pain since the previous day and needed rest. She stated that the reply she received warned against cancelling workshops every week, adding that it reflected badly on the organisation.
Clarifying the remark about cancellations, the woman stated that no workshop had been cancelled, explaining that two sessions were postponed due to issues at the partner organisation’s end and that on another occasion the team was unavailable as they were attending a conference in Pune.
The post prompted a wave of reactions on social media, with several users describing the situation as ironic given the organisation’s focus on mental health. Some commenters shared similar experiences from the development sector, stating that work-life balance in many mental health organisations and NGOs in India is poor. Others alleged that toxic work cultures are common in the sector, with one user stating that they had experienced severe stress while working at a mental health startup, and another claiming that many NGOs operate with little regard for employee wellbeing.
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