'The strategy of the new management was to make my work life so miserable that any self-respecting individual would quit.'
Delhi-based Shubham Chakraborty, 32, a management graduate from XLRI, Jamshedpur, tells Divya Nair/Rediff.com how he fought anxiety and stress caused by poor workplace management.
I joined this company in September 2022 as senior manager, marketing.
At around the same time, there was a change of leadership in the firm.
A new CEO joined the company with his team and introduced a different work culture, which gradually created friction between employees. There were several instances of over-management and micromanagement.
In February 2023, I fell ill and that's when I started facing issues at work.
I was suddenly informed that I had to go on unpaid leave.
After I resumed work, my manager started keeping tabs on me. I was expected to report my work hours in great detail, justifying what I was doing.
I have completed my BTech from the National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, and my MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. I have cracked the GATE and briefly worked with GAIL, a PSU, before moving to the corporate world.
Before joining this company, I had worked with The Times Of India and MakeMyTrip for seven years.
Suddenly, none of this mattered. I was being treated like an intern with zero experience.
When I joined the company, I was aware of my role and responsibilities. I knew what I was doing and was qualified enough to do it. Now, every few hours, this new manager would send an e-mail or text requesting an update: Where are we on this?
I found this whole 'documentation' mindset of working highly unprofessional and demotivating. I realised that I was not respected for my abilities.
Around March 2023, things started getting worse. I was being held accountable for every small detail.
The theatrics of micromanagement peaked between March and May 2023.
With time, I understood the modus operandi.
The strategy of the new management was to make my work life so miserable that any self-respecting individual would quit.
From the management's perspective, it was a brilliant move. However, from the employee's perspective, it was abrasive, abusive and counter-productive.
At one point, I was getting e-mails from HR that I was not performing enough. I asked them in if they could provide me with a written performance appraisal and mention exactly how I had failed on the revenue metrics.
The harassment continued to the point I started becoming more irritable and stressed about work.
When I realised things were going further south, I finally put in my papers.
I didn't have a job or a plan B. Honestly, it wasn't a brave decision because I was privileged enough to be able to take it.
I was married and my wife was earning. My retired father was drawing a pension so I had to only think about my survival.
After I resigned, I was asked to forego my joining bonus because, as per the terms, I had left the company before completing two years. I argued that I did not quit, I had been forced to resign.
In September 2022, when I had joined their marketing team, we were 40 employees. Three months after I left, only nine people remained.
Meanwhile, I was getting calls from employees who started sharing similar stories.
I realised that a few of them who weren't as privileged as me -- they had EMIs to pay -- had to stay until they found a better job. A handful, I know, have quit without a job. The situation, clearly, hadn't improved since I quit.
I quit because I was fed up. I didn't want to take it anymore.
I quit because I realised I had the skills and talent to make money. And I knew I would survive.
I took a short break to travel.
I have always enjoyed reading and writing so I took up freelancing jobs.
Since November 2023, I have been working as a content marketer. Now I am paid 50 per cent less than what I used to. But I am not forced to work. My work doesn't limit me. I don't feel tired. I have the freedom to work the way I want to.
Yes, it's a new challenge. My boat is shaky, but I am glad, it's not sinking either.
I was fired from my last job due to repeated anxiety attacks. Back then, I didn't understand what they were.
I have faced the whole buffet -- the late-night crying spells, the morning dread, the unwillingness to get out of bed and face another sh***y day. It affected my health, finances, my every waking moment.
But my experience has also taught me a few things:
1. You are not the sum-total of your degree or the organisation that you work for. You are your skills.
2. Do not do a job or remain in an organisation that becomes your prison.
3. Networking is important. But that doesn't mean you connect with everyone and anyone.
You have to identify people by their skills and your passion. And it's a lifelong connection. For example, if you are interested in music and you know someone who is an event manager, you connect with them.
Start small but start somewhere, start something.
3. I come from a small town in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. For me working in a city like Noida is a big deal. But that shouldn't limit you from knowing what is best for you and what you truly deserve.
4. I have come to realise that achievers are more susceptible to being harassed at work because we think we can do it all. That's wrong.
It is never too late to learn that you must always prioritise your health and family over work. In fact, it should not even be your option.
5. When you wake up in the morning, notice how you say 'Arre yaar, aaj kaam karna hai (Oh dear, I have to go to work today).' If the thought doesn't inspire you enough to get out of bed, don't ignore that sign!
Take it as a warning and do something about it.
6. LinkedIn has been therapeutic for me because it helps me express my thoughts and feelings and connect with a wide range of people who appreciate and help me think better.
There are times when I think about my friends who earn more than I do but I am also curious to write something new and hear from other people. And I love what I am doing.
I am at a happy place right now. Are you?
Dear Readers, have you faced harassment at the workplace? Do you know anyone who has?
How did you deal with it?
Did you report the incident/s or did you quit?
How did you heal from the abuse? Did you get professional help?
What were the lessons you learned that can help others?
In the light of Anna Sebastian Perayil's tragic demise, we hope the real-life experiences we are presenting will help others who are facing a similar situation.
Write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (Workplace woes). If you can, please do share your name and location. If you wish to remain anonymous, please do let us know; we will respect your wishes.
