(MENAFN- Live Mint) An ex-employee has accused Giga, an AI startup founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni, of fostering a toxic work culture that demanded 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. Jared Steele, who joined the San Francisco-based startup company, quit after just a day, citing false compensation promises, red flags in management practices, and restrictive leave policies.

The allegations come shortly after Giga raised $61 million in Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures in early November.

Founded by Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep in 2023, Giga specialises in creating voice-based AI agents for companies. Amid recent funding news, Jared Steele, now chief of staff at Opal Dex, has brought serious accusations against the company.

In a post on the social media platform X, Steele mentioned that he was hired by Giga in 2025 to lead demand generation. However, he resigned after a day upon observing“red flags everywhere."

LiveMint has contacted Giga founders, and the story will be updated once a response is received.

Also Read | 'Sent me a ChatGPT email': Laid-off TikTok worker exposes toxic work culture What are the claims made by the former employee?

Jared Steele claimed that there were discrepancies between the promises made to him and what he observed upon joining, including differences in compensation, job title, and the reported revenue of the company.

One of his more serious allegations was that the company reportedly told him,“When we hit $10m ARR, we're going to spend $100k on [illegal stuff],” while also making comments about sacrificing a goat in India.

Also Read | 'Choosing family over work': How netizens responded to post seeking advice Working 12 hours daily, 7 days a week

Steele claimed that employees were required to work 12-hour shifts every day of the week. He added that the company's paid leave policy could be changed according to management's discretion.

Essentially, the employees were expected to“always be working,” he said.

Steele also faced personal issues regarding leaves. Before joining Giga, he informed the company about two weddings he needed to attend and received approval for time off. After signing the contract, however, he was told he could not take leave for both events.

He said, "After I signed contract, they said, well you need to pick who you're better friends with bc you can't do both weddings now.”

Steele added that he had moved across the country to join the startup and was“snubbed” by the founder on his first day.

“First day of work, I got in early. Founder walks in my direction, I stand up, extend my hand for a handshake. He snubs me - not even an acknowledgement,” Steele said.“I just moved my entire life & drove 26 hours across the country & not even a 'welcome to the team' or a hello.”

Also Read | Work-life balance: Where do countries stand? Work-life balance debate

Giga's ex-employee's post comes at a time when discussions about work-life balance have gained prominence in the work culture. The debate gained traction after L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's undated video advocating a 90-hour workweek went viral, while Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy called for a 70-hour workweek.

MENAFN10112025007365015876ID1110319363