A 21-year-old HR operations intern from Bengaluru has shared his emotional struggle on Reddit, detailing the mental strain caused by a toxic workplace environment and excessive workload at his AI-integrated software company. The intern, who earns 10,000 INR per month, described the workplace as “so toxic to the point that I cry every day when I go to bed and I feel like I lost in life and working a dead-end job.”
He added that the role, intended to provide learning experience, has instead become a source of stress. “I came here for the experience mainly and I can’t even get that since I stay in the seat all day long for at least 9-10 hours continuous and like a 30 min break in between,” he wrote.
Toxic Co-Workers and Unsympathetic Bosses
The intern highlighted the challenges with his team, noting that a particular co-worker “blames me for everything… gives me so much workload and then blames me for not doing the workload,” while others do not follow up properly. He also described differing management styles, saying, “I have two bosses, the first boss is a guy and he is understanding so there’s no issue with him… But my 2nd boss is not good.”
He explained an incident where his second supervisor ignored him while he raised a work issue, with colleagues following suit, “She just ignored me, like she didn’t want to listen to me. She was scrolling through her phone pretending she didn’t hear me, and the people around her were also doing the same.”
Overload and Desire to Resign
The intern also raised concerns about workload inequities, noting that “The amount of work they give me is more than what an average person earning 10 LPA would do and my own co-workers do the same exact thing as me for more salary.” He said this, combined with the toxic environment, has led to serious mental strain.
He is seeking guidance on resigning while still receiving his internship completion certificate, as per the three-month contract he signed. He noted that many other interns are also considering leaving before completing their tenure. “I am struggling from mental strain, overload of work and toxicity of the company. I want to leave ASAP with the 3 months certificate,” he wrote.
The post has sparked discussions on social media about workplace culture, mental health, and the responsibilities of companies in managing interns’ well-being. Many users emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health, seeking HR intervention, and documenting workplace issues to protect oneself professionally.
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