A recent firsthand account from a former employee of Kiranakart Technologies, operating as Zepto, has exposed a disturbing picture of workplace toxicity, psychological abuse, and severe mental health impacts. The individual, a fresh graduate with a B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence, revealed how their brief tenure at the company not only shattered their confidence but also threatened their career prospects.
The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how they landed a “Data Analyst” role after applying to over 1,000 jobs. However, the job turned out to be a contractual position with no clarity on working hours, leave policies, or management support. Instead of meaningful data analysis work, the employee was relegated to menial logistics tasks with excessive working hours—sometimes seven days a week, 9 AM to 8 PM or later, often without lunch breaks.
Post on Zepto's toxic work culture on r/startupindia by a youngster pic.twitter.com/bS8hbe52El
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More alarmingly, the former employee recounted daily verbal abuse from managers using offensive language, intimidation through threatening gestures, and exclusion from team activities due to workplace cliques. With no HR support or grievance mechanisms in place, the employee was left vulnerable and isolated throughout the ordeal.
The situation worsened when the employee fell ill on their last day. Despite a high fever and poor weather conditions, they were pressured by HR to return company equipment immediately, with no regard for their health.
The traumatic experience severely affected the employee’s mental health and self-confidence. To hide the reality from family, the individual lied about preparing for the GATE exam, but the emotional toll hindered their preparation, resulting in poor results and lost academic opportunities.
Financial Express reached out to Zepto, but the company did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations.