A woman working with a Mumbai-based mental health NGO has alleged workplace insensitivity after claiming that the organisation’s director dismissed her request to skip a Sunday workshop due to severe menstrual pain. The allegation surfaced through a detailed Reddit post that has since sparked widespread debate online.
The employee shared screenshots of her conversation with the director, stating that she had been experiencing intense period pain since the previous day and needed rest. She requested that a colleague handle a one-hour online workshop scheduled for Sunday. According to her post, the director responded curtly, saying: “Pls don’t cancel workshops every week. It reflects very bad on us.”
Long hours despite official work schedule
In her post, the woman explained that while the NGO officially follows a Monday-to-Friday work schedule from 8 am to 4 pm, employees are expected to conduct online workshops every Sunday in collaboration with another NGO. She also highlighted that she had recently attended a two-day staff training programme at a college on Friday and Saturday, running from 9 am to 4.30 pm.
Despite her physical discomfort, she said she completed all assigned responsibilities during the training. The lack of empathy in the director’s response, she added, was particularly distressing given that the organisation works in suicide prevention and mental health support.
“This is an NGO in Mumbai which works for suicide prevention and mental health. This is our reality,” she wrote, noting that there was no acknowledgment of her health condition or appreciation for her recent work.
Clarification and online reactions
Responding to comments, the employee clarified that she had not cancelled workshops earlier. She said two sessions were postponed due to issues on the partner NGO’s side, while another could not be conducted because her team was attending a conference.
The post quickly gained traction, with many users calling out the irony of a mental health organisation allegedly failing to show compassion towards its own staff. Several commenters shared similar experiences, claiming that poor work-life balance and emotional burnout are common in the development and NGO sector.
The incident has reignited conversations around workplace empathy, menstrual health, and the gap between organisational values and internal practices.