(MENAFN- Live Mint) A 21-year-old graduate on his first internship turned to the internet looking for a solution to deal with his alleged abusive boss. The harassed intern posted on the social media platform Reddit, describing how his boss yelled, called him a "m***** f****** a******, and berated him for a“minor error”.
In the replies, netizens rallied to comfort the youngster and offer advice on how to deal with the situation. The poster identified wrote his complaints late on December 28, on r/IndianWorkplace and tagged it as 'Workplace Toxicity'.
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Explaining the situation, the intern wrote,“Hi everyone, I'm 21M, a fresh graduate who recently joined a corporate consultancy (Not the Big ones but Big) firm about a month and a half ago. I'm completely new to this field and currently in my internship period, which is expected to last for the first three months here. Yesterday, while I was presenting a draft of my work to my boss, he pointed out a minor error and reacted harshly, saying:“Which mth3r fck**g a$$hole did this?” He then added,“I'm sorry for my language , but it's really inefficient for me to repeat your work I used to do in my initial days 2decades ago”.”
He added that this was a repeated behaviour from the senior and wanted to take action,“To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I'm genuinely frustrated, and this isn't the first time. He regularly takes jabs at me and my work, even threatening my job and everything I do., but this was the last straw. I really want to address this issue, but I'm worried about how the company might react. I know the VP (his boss) is very approachable, but I'm still concerned about the potential consequences of raising it.”
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The poster then went on to ask for advice from fellow Redditors,“Would it be reasonable to ask to be assigned to a different team or perhaps a different branch? Or should I just endure it and wait it out till I jump companies?”
He also expressed difficulty with worrying and disappointing his parents, adding,“The reason I'm so worried is that I had the opportunity to join a wonderful university abroad, but I was eager to gain work experience and try for even better universities in the future. So, I had to convince my parents to let me come here and support me financially until I secure a permanent position here, and now this guy threatening me with my job and being so toxic just makes it all tough. Going back home isn't an option for me not because my parents lack the funds or wouldn't welcome me back, but because I know they would worry that their son isn't doing well. Deep down, I don't want to disappoint them or make them think I made the wrong decision.”
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At the time of writing, the post had over 400 upvotes and hundreds of comments advising and consoling the poster. Some advised leaving the toxic environment.“Leave before it gets worse. We aren't their personal servants or doormats. Hell, even servants get treated better than these mfers treat their juniors! They think we have no dignity and can crush us whenever they want,” (sic) said on redditor.
Another added,“Naah bro, don't be quiet on this stuff. This is the kind of behaviour they get away with only because no one calls them out on it.” (sic)
However, one reply had a cautious view of the situation and pointed out the power dynamics, saying:“They get away with it because they know they can. Not because they rely on someone not calling them out. In conflicts like these, it's your (a new employee) word against theirs, and they know that even if it does go up the chain, they can deal with it. I'm not saying OP shouldn't take it up with the VP. I think they should. But I also think OP and us in general shouldn't be too hopeful of the outcome. With that in mind, I think it'll be easier for OP to weigh their options and take action.” (sic)
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Another reply was strategic, advising:“After spending 2 yrs in corporate and hearing multiple rants from my peers I can say below things -: If boss's boss is approachable then you should reach out to him, not in a way of complaining but you have to INFORM what happened with you, I'm currently in 2 projects, so I have a separate project manager and then a reporting manager (who's really approachable), I had a disagreement with one of the project manager, and I just discussed it with reporting manager and next day it was solved. If you confront them without losing your self-respect, they won't dare to repeat it again.” (sic)
The youth was also encouraged, asking,“Tbh, this seems like a good plan of action. The company as a whole is fantastic, which makes it even more disheartening to see other bosses having wholesome interactions with their team members, you know, encouraging them to take time off for New Year, letting them leave early, avoiding work on the weekends, and even taking them out for lunches. And then there's my boss, an absolute A**.” (sic)
Others also suggested taking the issue to HR, going to a higher level, or even going to the legal route if no action is taken. One suggested trusting that a complaint would trigger internal politics, adding that MNCs have a“no retaliation policy”, which could work in the poster's favour.
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