Indian manager wants employees to work on weekends; they refuse, then his ultimatum: ‘Either you have to…’

A viral Reddit post has reignited discussions around toxic workplaces after an Indian manager allegedly asked employees to either work full 8-hour shifts on weekends or extend their daily hours by two hours for the next three weeks.

The post included a screenshot of a WhatsApp chat, which the user claimed came from a friend’s group. “This screenshot is from my friend’s WhatsApp group – the last msg is from her manager apparently having the audacity to normalise working on weekends,” the user wrote.

In the image, one employee is seen explaining, “I have commitments and plans so unable to work on Saturdays and Sundays if possible I will try to complete.” Several others echoed similar sentiments, saying they wouldn’t be able to work over the weekend.

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The manager responded strongly, warning that the matter would be addressed with the entire team on Monday. “This is not going to work, we need to plan something else, I will address the complete team on Monday, either we have to report to office on Saturday and Sundays for complete 8 hours or need to extend the shift on a daily basis for 2 hours for next three weeks…Guys kindly prepare your mindset and come to work on Monday,” the message read.

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The Reddit post came from an unverified user, and Mint has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the screenshot.

What social media users are saying

The post triggered outrage online, with many criticising the manager’s behaviour.

“They are literally stealing his labour. Refuse tactfully. If that doesn’t work, refuse directly. Of course, he needs a new job soon,” wrote one user.

Another said, “They do it to reach you outside of work timings – they have no shame about it. Unless it’s a genuine emergency, I simply ignore their calls/messages. I even had to block a colleague.”

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A third user noted the importance of documentation: “Teams is documented. When they make requests like this, they don’t want evidence. If someone goes to court, they can say it was a rogue manager. But on Teams, every message is logged; they can’t do that.”

Another person advised, “Absolutely do not work a second on the weekend unless it’s your own fault for not being able to in the week. Very slippery slope. Pretty sure none of us gets paid overtime for that.”

Forced to work 20 unpaid hours

In a separate incident also shared on Reddit, a software developer claimed they were being pressured into working 20 extra hours per week, without any pay.

“That’s 3 hours every weekday after work and my weekends completely gone,” the employee said, adding, “It’s unpaid, non-negotiable, and they’ve made it clear that if I want to grow here, I have to do this.”