Does Zepto call employees for 2 AM meetings?
A Reddit post has gone viral accusing startup company Zepto of having a “toxic” workplace environment, igniting a heated debate about startups.
“I have been working with Zepto for a year now,” the post read. “It is the most toxic work culture. I want to post this now because it has lots of publicity but only we know how bad things are.”
The post claimed that employees were subjected to grueling 14-hour shifts, were forced to attend meetings scheduled as late as 2 AM, and will soon be hit with a mass round of layoffs. This has raised alarm bells for many on social media, prompting concerns about employee well-being and the CEO Aadit Palicha’s unsuitable working hours.
The post also claimed that the Zepto product design tried “desperately” to copy off Blinkit, lacking originality of their own.
View the Reddit Post Below:
Internet Reacts:
“Bold of u to post bro ! This shit should go viral,” a user wrote.
“A friend left Zepto a while ago; can vouch for everything above,” another agreed.
Many users also highlighted the pattern this reflected among startups across India, who exploited employees for the sake of their growth.
Many also pointed out the illegality of Zepto’s money extraction methods by citing the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and The Information Technology Act, 2000.
CEO Responds:
Amidst this, Zepto’s CEO Aadit Palicha has joined the growing debate on work-life balance by posting his opinion on X (formerly Twitter)
“I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors,” he wrote on Wednesday morning.
He quickly followed up with another post: “FYI, not my quote – read it from an interview of Daksh Gupta.”
I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors 🙂
— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) December 4, 2024
The clarification referred to Daksh Gupta, the 23-year-old CEO of AI startup Greptile, who had previously endorsed long work hours and ignited a fierce discussion about intense work culture in startups.
However, Palicha’s post went badly with social media, who criticized his lack of acknowledgement of the Reddit thread as well as his mockery of work-life balance.
Customers after this tweet: We have nothing against Zepto. In fact, we recommend BLINKIT and INSTAMART.
— Aaraynsh (@aaraynsh) December 4, 2024
Ah, burning the midnight oil to dunk on toxic work culture posts on Reddit? Bold strategy!
So, what time’s your first meeting today—asking for your coffee machine
— Monica Jasuja (@jasuja) December 4, 2024
This is not a startup; it’s a dystopian nightmare masquerading as a business. Instead of addressing these very real concerns, they’ve chosen to mock the idea of treating employees like human beings.
If this is the future of work, count everyone out.
— Loan Guru (@Loanguruji) December 4, 2024
