‘I don’t care if you fire me’: Gen Z employee refuses to stay late at work, calls out ‘toxicity in the name of hard work’ in viral video

Speaking to the camera, Pandey recounts a recent incident at her workplace. “Toh main abhi ghar waapis ja rahi hoon office se, aur meri jo reporting manager hain, unhone mujhe bola ki ‘thoda sa aur kaam hai Shatakshi, de raha hoon kar do.’ Maine unko kaha ‘Nahi sir, aaj mujhe time par nikalna hai’.” (I was leaving for home from the office, and my reporting manager told me, ‘There’s a bit more work, Shatakshi, I’m assigning it to you.’ I told him, ‘No sir, I need to leave on time today’.”)

She then clarifies she was not leaving early. “Time par hi nikalna hai, yeh nahi ki main jaldi jaana chahti hoon. Apne working hours complete karke hi jaa rahi hoon, extra nahi baithna chahti, kyunki aaj mera fasting hai.” (I’m leaving on time, not early. I’ve completed my working hours and don’t want to stay late, especially since I’m fasting today.)

Her manager responded by citing his own example: “Tumhe pata hai kya, main kal raat train mein tha, subah 7 baje pahucha, aur 7:30 baje office bhi aa gaya, aur abhi 6:30 tak office mein hoon. Bhai theek hai, tumne apna itna time diya kaam ko, theek hai, tum chali jao ghar.” (You know what? I was on a train last night, reached at 7 in the morning, came to the office by 7:30 am, and I’m still here at 6:30 pm in the evening. Fine, you’ve given your time, you can go home.)

Pandey, in the video, questions this mindset: “Insaan do waqt ki roti kamaane ke liye jaata hai, agar woh do waqt ki roti sukoon se nahi kha sakta, toh kya point hai?” (A person works to earn two meals a day, but if they can’t eat them in peace, what’s the point?) She rejects the idea of romanticising relentless struggle, adding, “I don’t care if you fire me from the job, but I am not okay with this.”

Watch the video:

 

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A post shared by Shatakshi Pandey (@kad_shatakshi)

Her post has already crossed nearly three million views, sparking heated discussions in the comments. Many sided with her, with one person writing, “Overworking isn’t flex, it’s exploitation. Respect to you for saying it out loud.” Another applauded Gen Z’s approach: “They are outspoken, know their rights, and aren’t afraid to act on them. I wish I was like that in my early 20s.” A third person commented, “Finally GenZ will save the world.”

However, not everyone agreed. Some felt her stance was too rigid, with one commenter saying, “Your job is not your working hours, it’s the actual work. Senior roles aren’t about clocking out, they’re about responsibility.” Another user wrote, “You have a point, but in a competitive job market, if you won’t do it, someone else will.”