Gurugram Woman, A New Mom, Forced To Work For 16 Hours At CA Firm; Husband Says ‘Boss Made Her Life Hell’

In India, job pressure is often associated with long hours and tight deadlines, but for working mothers, the challenge goes far beyond that. Balancing a newborn with a demanding job is already tough, and the stress

intensifies when workplaces lack understanding and support. A recent video shared by a man from Gurugram has brought this harsh reality into the spotlight.

In the video, the man talks about his wife, a new mother, who is still working late into the night. He records her sitting with a laptop at 1:30 AM and questions the expectations placed on her by her workplace.

New Mother Works Till 1:30 AM In Gurugram

The man begins the video by showing his wife working past midnight and says, “It is 1:30 in the night and she’s still working. Her manager has literally made her life hell.” He goes on to question what employers expect from a new mother, adding, “Matlab tum yaar ek nayi mother se kya expect karte ho ki wo bacche ka bhi dhayan rakhe aur tumhare liye 16-16 ghante kaam bhi kare? (What do you really expect from a new mother that she should take care of her baby and also work 16 hours a day for you?)”

He also shares that she is a Chartered Accountant. “She has cracked the most difficult exam of India and she’s doubting her own worth today. Imagine someone who can balance complex audit reports is being made to feel like she can’t even balance a career and a child together,” he says.

Calling Out Workplace Culture Around Motherhood

As the video continues, the man directly addresses managers and future leaders. “To all the people who have become managers or those who are going to manage, please listen up,” he says, before adding, “A motherhood is not a performance, it is a masterclass in resilience and multi-tasking.”

He questions the idea of global work culture, stating, “Agar aapka global culture ek maa ko accommodate nahi kar sakta toh aapka cluture global nahi sirf aur sirf toxic hai (If your so-called global work culture cannot accommodate a mother, then it isn’t global at all, it is simply toxic.)”

He ends the message on a personal note for his wife and other working mothers, saying, “You are not legging behind, you are leading the way. Soch badalne ki zrurat unhe hai, tumhe nahi (They need to change their thinking, not you). Don’t let a manager define your market value.”

In the caption, he wrote, “Corporate toxicity is true. This is exactly when she was dealing with her postpartum.”

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What Are People Saying Online

The video has crossed over a million views, with many users sharing their own experiences in the comments section.

One user commented, “So many of us can relate to it! Have experienced the same after joining work post maternity leave.”

Another said, “I quit my past job because I was shamed profusely and accused of being unaggressive just when I was silently becoming a pro in handling motherhood and work. Cut to the end of the year, I was up on the charts of their highest performers. The loss was theirs- I left for a much higher package and a lot more respect. Corporate set-ups fail mothers and motherhood all the time.”

“New mom or not, Pregnant or otherwise, working at 1 AM is absolute burnout!” someone else remarked.

“Most Indian managers from IT/ finance sectors are absolutely submissive to their own bosses and clients and don’t have the spine to say NO to client’s absurd demands with tight deadlines. They become managers without any formal training, and their mindset is to only keep loading their teams with more and more “high priority work”. Sad state of affairs that won’t change. Better to move to smaller firms if life gets hard! Your health is in your own hands,” a person stated.

“Hopefully, the new generation that becomes managers will change this trend. It’s so sad to see,” an individual wrote.

A viewer pointed out that the problem is not a working mother’s ability to balance a career and a child, but the expectation of 16-hour workdays. They mentioned that such long hours are unreasonable for anyone, especially for someone caring for a young child whose body also needs proper rest after childbirth.

The comment also noted that quitting a job is not a practical option for many families due to financial responsibilities, and placing that burden on the mother is unfair. According to the user, the real issue lies with company policies and labour laws, not with the woman trying to manage both roles.