E-commerce giants - the way you are supposed to work

Sometimes it feels like taking a break—like actually using my earned leave—is treated like a privilege I should be grateful for, not a right I’ve earned. The moment I step away, it's like there's this unspoken debt I'm supposed to repay. Suddenly, I owe explanations for not being immediately available, for not responding to emails the second they arrive, or for missing a call by five minutes. Why is it so hard to just… breathe?

Even when I’m on leave, I’m reading emails just so there’s no 'delay' when I return. Not because it’s expected—though maybe it is—but because I know what’s waiting if I don’t. The worst part? There’s no room for vulnerability. You're either protecting yourself constantly, or sacrificing your team. There’s no safe middle. It’s like I have to choose between throwing myself under the bus or letting someone else take the hit—and neither of those feel right.

It shouldn’t be this hard to just exist at work and be human.