A 31-year-old Indian IT consultant recently shared his unsettling career experience on Reddit after being terminated by a foreign company where he had been working as an individual contractor. Despite a clean 10-year record and consistent career growth from Indian MNCs to reputed product-based firms, his journey took a sharp turn following a toxic work relationship with his manager.
From career highs to sudden downfall
The consultant said his career was on track until early 2024 when a recruiter from a foreign company reached out, offering him a lucrative position as an individual contractor. “Apparently, I was referred to them by one of the customers I worked for in the product company that I had been working then,” he recalled.
He aced five rounds of interviews and was promised a 150% hike with payment in USD, minimal deductions, and full remote work except for quarterly office visits abroad. “I was on cloud nine,” he wrote, explaining how the offer outweighed any stability concerns. The consultant and his manager began working closely on a critical project and built what initially seemed like a positive relationship.
‘He started ridiculing me for every small mistake’
Soon after a successful contract renewal and a 10% hike, things began to deteriorate. “All of a sudden, manager started targeting me pointing out very small mistakes in my work which are mostly non-mandatory things,” he said. Despite being appreciated earlier for his initiative, his manager began using his salary as a weapon during confrontations.
“He asked for hourly updates every day and confront for every small thing. He even stopped compensating for my overtime claiming that I worked overtime because of my inefficiency,” the consultant shared. Matters worsened when his manager demanded he hire an unofficial assistant recommended by him. When the consultant refused, the workplace environment turned toxic.
‘He started becoming abusive’
“My manager couldn’t take my rejection and started making my life worse. Every time he gets a chance, he started becoming abusive and claimed that he can destroy my career in a jiffy,” he wrote. Even though his leave requests were rejected and personal remarks were made, the consultant continued for three months due to his love for the project and high pay.
Eventually, he confronted his manager directly during a visit to the office, standing his ground. Following an escalation, senior management intervened and warned the manager about his behaviour, but the situation never improved. “Once he escalated because my account password got expired after a vacation,” he recalled.
‘Got termination mail with 2-week notice’
The breaking point came in August when he received a termination email on a Sunday night, citing non-performance. “Next day, when asked, my manager claimed that it’s the upper management’s decision and he doesn’t has any say in it,” he wrote. Despite the shock, he professionally completed his notice period and even received an appreciation mail during that time.
The termination took a toll on his mental health, and he decided to take a break and travel. Two months later, the same HR who had terminated him called, asking if he would consider rejoining. “I politely refused stating the obvious reasons,” he said.
‘She warned my manager about his behaviour’
He was later contacted by a senior manager promising that “things will be different this time” and confirming that his former manager had been warned. However, he remains uncertain. “I am not sure how much can I trust them anymore,” he wrote.
The consultant said he later learned that his former manager’s preferred candidate failed the interview, prompting the company to call him back. “I am now confused whether to join back hoping that things will be better and enjoy high pay or stay my ground and try somewhere else,” he concluded.
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