Consultant in Hyderabad fired on vacation sparks debate on workplace loyalty

Hyderabad: A solutions consultant based in Hyderabad was dismissed from their job without warning while on vacation. In a post shared on Grapevine, a social media platform for salary and career discussions, the individual described their confusion over being laid off from their “dream job” due to what they claim was a misunderstanding.

“I was preparing for a high-stakes demo for a major client. The software had some last-minute issues, so I had to improvise and skip certain steps to keep the presentation on track. I flagged the situation to the internal team afterwards, but apparently, someone reported that I’d intentionally misrepresented the product.”

Upon contacting their manager, they were informed that the decision to terminate their employment had come from higher management and was final.

The management cited “integrity concerns” as the reason for the dismissal, stating that they “couldn’t take the risk” of keeping the individual employed.

In the post, the former solutions consultant went on to explain their dedication to the role in Hyderabad, saying, “Over the past year, I’ve consistently gone above and beyond – staying late to complete deliverables, stepping in to resolve last-minute client issues, and even training junior team members.” They added that they were being considered for a raise and promotion, which now feels like “empty promises.”

Expressing feelings of betrayal, the individual said, “In Indian workplaces, loyalty is often emphasised – you’re told to treat your job like family. I thought I’d built that trust, but this experience has left me questioning everything.”

The post, which garnered 66,000 views in two days, prompted responses from other professionals sharing similar experiences of unrewarded loyalty in the workplace.

One commenter noted, “This is something to keep in mind: you should set boundaries between work and personal time. Be loyal to your work, not the organisation.”

Reactions to the post largely recommended focusing on building skill sets rather than forming emotional attachments to organisations that often view employees as replaceable.