A former contractual employee at quick-commerce startup Zepto has raised serious concerns about a toxic workplace environment, likening their experience to “psychological warfare” in a now-viral Reddit post. According to sources cited by HT.com, the incident is linked to a third-party vendor and not to any on-roll Zepto employee.
The individual, a B.Tech graduate, alleged that their managers were “outright abusive” and highlighted the absence of HR support or grievance redressal mechanisms typically available to full-time employees.
In their Reddit post, the former employee said they accepted the role out of desperation, being “broke, jobless and desperate” at the time. They admitted to using ChatGPT to articulate their post.
Describing the harsh work conditions, they wrote:
“Six days a week, sometimes all seven. 9 AM to 8 PM, occasionally later. Some days there was no lunch break. No holidays. No structure. If someone else took a break, it was fine—but if I did, I’d get a call from a senior questioning my commitment.”
One particularly disturbing account described a manager making aggressive gestures, as if to slap or punch them. “He never hit me, but the intimidation was constant. That feeling of being trapped, of never knowing when yelling might escalate to physical violence… that’s trauma,” they stated.
“I would freeze at my desk—scared, anxious, and helpless. That’s not a job. That’s psychological warfare.”
On their final day, the Redditor claims that HR showed no empathy, even after they reported being unwell. They were instructed to return the company laptop within an hour.
Zepto CEO’s Controversial Remarks on Work-Life Balance
This controversy adds to an ongoing conversation around Zepto’s workplace culture. In December, CEO Aadit Palicha faced backlash for remarks on work-life balance made shortly after another Reddit post surfaced alleging toxic practices.
“I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors,” Palicha posted on X (formerly Twitter). He later clarified that the quote was originally from an interview with Indian-origin San Francisco-based CEO Daksh Gupta, known for advocating 84-hour workweeks at his AI startup.
