Bengaluru Techie Suffers Health Breakdown After CEO’s Outburst, Igniting Workplace Culture Uproar

In a disturbing account that has ignited conversations around toxic work environments in India’s startup ecosystem, a Bengaluru-based tech professional was hospitalised following a severe panic attack triggered by a CEO’s verbal tirade during a video call.

 The incident came to light through a Reddit post titled “I had a complete breakdown during a work video call because my CEO kept screaming – still dealing with the trauma.” The anonymous employee, a junior data scientist at a small event discovery startup, described enduring seven months of relentless psychological harassment under a non-technical CEO who allegedly micromanaged every task, imposed unrealistic deadlines, and frequently erupted into screaming fits.

 A Bengaluru startup employee alleges he suffered a complete breakdown following a harsh verbal tirade from the company’s CEO. In a Reddit post recounting his experience, he revealed enduring persistent harassment from the CEO throughout his brief stint at the organization. The situation reportedly escalated during a video call, where the CEO’s shouting grew increasingly intense, triggering a panic attack so severe that the employee had to be hospitalised. “I had a complete breakdown during a work video call because my CEO kept screaming,” he wrote in the post.

 The employee described enduring seven grueling months of psychological harassment at a Bengaluru-based startup, where a non-technical CEO allegedly micromanaged every detail, set impractical deadlines, and regularly erupted in anger. He recounted joining the small events discovery company as a junior data scientist in early 2024, hoping for a fulfilling professional journey. Instead, he found himself subjected to what he called “psychological torture” by a CEO who fancied himself a data science expert despite lacking any relevant technical experience. According to the employee, the CEO frequently set unattainable goals, altered project scopes on a whim, and would “completely lose it” when outcomes didn’t align with his unrealistic expectations.

The employee recounted how the CEO insisted on having every minute detail of his work explained directly to him. Any explanation that wasn’t flawless—or any technical concept the CEO failed to grasp—would reportedly lead to explosive outbursts. “I'm talking about full-blown screaming sessions that tore me down both professionally and personally,” the Reddit user wrote. He believed he was being targeted because of his quiet demeanor and slender build. According to him, the CEO routinely bypassed his immediate reporting manager, forcing him to communicate directly. Despite consistently working 12 to 14 hours a day, including weekends, the employee said his efforts never met the CEO’s standards. “For seven straight months, I clocked in 12–14 hour days without pause. Just two sick days in all that time. Not once was my commitment recognised. It was always criticism, always fault-finding—there was always something I was supposedly doing wrong,” he shared.

The employee said he finally reached his breaking point and decided to resign after months of sustained harassment. Just a week later, during a Google Meet, the CEO reportedly launched into another aggressive verbal attack. The confrontation triggered a severe health episode—he experienced chest tightness and shortness of breath, ultimately collapsing in his chair and requiring emergency medical attention.

“I tried my best to respond calmly and professionally, but he just kept escalating—yelling louder and louder. The outburst was so intense I couldn’t breathe. My chest seized up, I gasped for air, and then everything went black,” he wrote.

Fortunately, his mother, who heard the chaos from a nearby room, rushed him to the hospital.

The employee concluded his post by explaining that he chose to share his story to offer solidarity to others facing similar trauma. “If you’re stuck in a toxic situation, please know your mental health matters more than any paycheck. Listen to your gut. If someone constantly makes you feel worthless, that says more about them than it ever will about you,” he urged.

 (Rh/Mradula U Naik/MSM)