Talent Management

Employee travelling in metro misses online meeting for 5 minutes as signal drops; manager yells, threatens to expel him

November 17, 2025
www.ETHRWorld.com
No Comments
  • Published On Nov 17, 2025 at 11:40 PM IST

< />A frustrated professional recently described how a single message from his supervisor shattered his confidence. Taking to the subreddit <em>Indian Workplace</em>, he explained that he had been forced to exit an online meeting a few minutes before it ended because he was travelling on the metro, a situation that didn’t sit well with his superior. <br /><br /><!– PROMOSLOT_M –>In the WhatsApp exchange he posted, he repeatedly expressed regret for leaving the call, explaining that the network and audio had collapsed due to being underground. Despite his attempts to clarify, his supervisor’s hostile behaviour left him stunned.<br /><br /><div class=” article-detail-ad-slot=”” captionrendered=”1″ data-src=”https://etimg.etb2bimg.com/photo/125392404.cms” height=”442″ loading=”eager” src=”https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/default.jpg” width=”590″></img></p> </div> <p>He recounted that his official reporting time the previous day began at noon, but an online discussion had been arranged for 11:30 a.m. because the leadership team was on leave that week. While commuting, he kept his earphones plugged in and followed the meeting as best as the fluctuating network allowed. Once the train moved deeper into the metro line, the signal deteriorated sharply, forcing him to disconnect roughly five minutes before the meeting concluded.</p> <p> To his shock, his manager rang him at 12:28 p.m. and accused him of being disrespectful for exiting early. The supervisor then allegedly yelled at him for two full minutes, ordered him to gather his belongings, threatened to expel him from the team, and insisted he no longer deserved a place in the organisation. Before he could give any explanation, the call was cut. Feeling even more defeated, he sent an apologetic message for what he believed was an insignificant issue.</p> <p>People on Reddit responded with firm opinions. One commentator suggested that he should simply inform his supervisor the next day that he had intended to stay connected but was automatically removed from the call due to the metro’s lack of signal, warning that mentioning unclear audio might sound like an excuse.</p> <p> Another remarked that sending a short note before losing connectivity would have avoided the misunderstanding altogether and called it a basic professional courtesy, independent of hierarchy. A third user advised that during any meeting, employees should always give a quick update if their internet is unstable so participants are aware they might drop off unexpectedly.</p> <div> <div> <ul> <li><a href=ET Online

  • Published On Nov 17, 2025 at 11:40 PM IST

Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals.

Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox.

All about industry right on your smartphone!

  • Download the App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *