Latecomers stand for hours with their hands up: Bengaluru chief reveals ‘living hell’ of harassment, exploitation at luxury hotel

A 32-year-old chef and nutrition coach, Nayantara Menon Bagla, has spoken out about the abusive and hostile work environment she faced at a luxury hotel in Bangalorewhere long working days, intimidation and abuse were the norm.

In an interview with The Nod magazine, Bagla recalled her first day on the job, when the program director chillingly greeted her with the words, “Welcome to hell.” The phrase quickly became a harsh reality for her and her coworkers, as they endured grueling shifts, constant sexual harassment, and oppressive working conditions.

Bagla recounted the harsh treatment meted out to latecomers at the hotel, who were made to stand outside with their hands up for two hours and later had to clean the refrigerators with their bare hands.

The hotel also refused to give employees time off for personal emergencies, Bagla explained: “Whether we were going through a breakup or someone in our family had passed away, we had to put on our makeup, smile and greet the guests.” She also described the grueling 18- to 20-hour shifts and the exploitation of junior staff by senior employees.

Even more disturbing, Bagla hinted at cover-ups of “suicides” and “mass bullying” in the workplace. “Of course, kitchens and restaurants are high-pressure environments, but it can’t go to the point of covering up suicides or mass bullying,” she added. Mental health was never discussed, according to Bagla, who said: “Mental health wasn’t even a topic of conversation.”

Female employees at the hotel also faced outdated gender norms, body shaming and were expected to be submissive, Bagla revealed, describing how women were expected to say “yes boss” to everything.