Wait...Zepto now takes a 'Rain fee'???
and the company is still toxic
Hey guys…
Welcome to the kind of Tuesday where you wonder if that 15-minute break you took might show up in your appraisal.
If so, you’re not alone.
A former Zepto contractor recently shared a story that’ll make your worst workday look like a spa appointment.
📌 The Zepto allegations that are going viral
Zepto, the 10-minute grocery darling, recently introduced a "Rain Fee" of ₹3 on deliveries.
Fair enough, you might think. Weather logistics, right?
But then came a twist: GST was applied on that ₹3 fee.
That’s when the internet exploded.
“Is Zepto giving the government this GST or pocketing it? This feels like daylight robbery.”
And that ₹3 turned into a mirror, reflecting something much uglier beneath the surface.
📌 Here’s the real dirt…
A now-viral Reddit post by a former contractual worker at Zepto has painted a disturbing picture of the quick-commerce unicorn’s work culture.
While the internet debated over GST compliance, another storm hit Zepto, quietly, painfully.
A former contractual employee shared their experience on social media. It didn’t go viral like a meme, but it should have.
Because it told us what a “10-minute delivery” can cost, not in money, but in dignity.
Managers hurled slurs like it was office vocabulary.
One would mimic slaps and punches in meetings to instill fear.
There was no HR. No redressal system. No safety.
Being a contract worker meant being disposable. You were never one of them.
It wasn’t just work pressure. It was systemic mental abuse.
“I was mentally tortured. I lied to my parents that I was preparing for GATE. I didn’t want them to know how broken I felt.”
On their last day, running a 100°F fever, they were told:
“I don’t care about your health. Return the laptop today.”
So they traveled 2 hours in the rain, ironically, the same rain customers are now being taxed for because that’s what happens when companies forget that people are not inventory.
📌 It’s not the end. There’s still another story
Another Reddit post exposed how women are not safe in the company.
Here’s the reality:
Women are being forced to work till 2:30 am and 3:00 am.
There’s no provision for safe transportation home.
No office-provided cabs. No security guards. Nothing.
In a country where crimes against women occur even during the day, asking them to fend for themselves at 3 am is not just careless, it’s criminal.
“I’ve worked in firms where women are sent home safely by 10 pm with cabs and security.”
“Zepto? No. They burn them out, toss them an extra allowance, and call it growth.”
It’s not growth.
It’s exploitation with a shiny UI.
They offer better pay, yes.
But what they don’t offer is safety, respect, or sanity.
And in 2025, that should be non-negotiable.
📌 Here’s the irony: Zepto recommends work-life balance to competitors
The incident has reignited criticism of Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha, who faced backlash late last year for a tweet many saw as glorifying hustle culture.
“I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors.”
Though he later clarified it was a quote from another founder, the sentiment didn’t go unnoticed.
Moreover, this is not just a “bad work culture”
This is a dangerous one.
Where human dignity comes last.
Where profits are more important than protection.
Where a woman could be attacked or worse on her way home, and the company wouldn’t blink.
Zepto’s leadership should be ashamed.
This isn’t a scandal.
It’s a symptom of a startup culture that glorifies speed and scale, but buries abuse and burnout.
So, that’s it for today. If you enjoyed this edition, subscribe to hear from us every day!
See ya 👋
