Kamal Ghorui
Last-minute leave requests are not uncommon. From being unwell to having an emergency, employees do text there managers last minute for being unable to attend work. But do they get fired? They may! A recent incident in Gurugram has sparked widespread debate about workplace ethics and startup culture in India. The controversy began when a startup founder fired an employee because the person was unable to attend an official event. The incident, which quickly went viral on social media, has raised serious questions about employee rights, work expectations, and the evolving nature of professional environments in startups. There are people who have also questioned the fact that what lead the manager to take this extreme step? Was the employee a regular offender?Nikhil Rana is the founder of The 15, a Gurugram-based private networking platform for entrepreneurs founded in 2025. He posted on his LinkedIn profile. At The 15 I strongly believe in no-notice period policy. Notice period is theatre. A waste of time. Startups need:1. People who take ownership2. People who founders can depend upon3. People with high-agency4. People who don’t wait for the perfect time and situation. 5. People who can ‘make it happen’Skills have taken the last seat now. Nobody gives a dime for skills. They’re commoditized.
This post on LinkedIn invited a lot of reactions from people who were vocal about the ‘human’ angle which was missing in the action. CA NRIPENDRA KUMAR SHARMA ॐ wrote, “A founder with 10 employees discovers capitalism and suddenly decides empathy is optional. Calling a “no-notice period” efficiency is interesting, but it completely ignores the human aspect. Employees are not bonded labor. Paying a salary does not give you ownership over their personal lives and circumstances. Emergencies and limitations are part of life — organizations should understand them, not penalize them.”Another comment came from Siddhant G., “Tell me you’re a nightmare to work for without telling me you’re a nightmare to work for. The no-notice policy isn’t a flex, it’s just bridge-burning disguised as speed. Real high-agency people value professional transitions so they don’t leave their team in a ditch. And saying nobody gives a dime for skills is the ultimate LinkedIn brain take. Good luck scaling a startup on vibes and ownership when you realize no one actually knows how to ship code because skills were too commoditized for your ego.”
Mayur Wadhawan wrote, “Tell me you’re a nightmare to work for without telling me you’re a nightmare to work for. The no-notice policy isn’t a flex, it’s just bridge-burning disguised as speed. Real high-agency people value professional transitions so they don’t leave their team in a ditch. And saying nobody gives a dime for skills is the ultimate LinkedIn brain take. Good luck scaling a startup on vibes and ownership when you realize no one actually knows how to ship code because skills were too commoditized for your ego.“The post has brought up a lot of important points, and people are having a lot of discussions about whether this is the best way to deal with employees at work. A lot of people think that such a strict and quick response shows a lack of understanding and empathy, especially when employees may have good reasons for what they did. In fast-paced startup environments, some people say that founders often expect total commitment and flexibility from their teams. This can make it harder to make decisions. This disagreement has led to a bigger conversation about workplace culture, employee rights, and how to find a balance between being professional and being human. It has also made people wonder if performance should be judged only by how available and obedient someone is, or by how much they contribute and take responsibility.Disclaimer: This article is based on a post shared on a public platform, LinkedIn, and The Times of India has simply reported widely available information.
