Intern promised Rs 10,000 stipend, then salary day brought an unpleasant surprise
A marketing intern claimed his company promised Rs 10,000, but ended up receiving something else after weeks of daily work. Reddit users urged him to insist on the original agreement or leave if the issue is not resolved.
An intern claimed he was paid only half of his promised stipend despite working long hours, including weekends, leaving him questioning whether he should stay with the company or resign.
The employee shared his experience in a Reddit post on r/IndianWorkplace titled, “Internship promised Rs 10k, paid Rs 5k, stay or quit?”
According to the post, he joined the company as a Marketing Executive intern on June 8 with the understanding that he would receive a monthly stipend of 10,000.
Being a fourth-year college student graduating in 2027, he had informed the company before joining that he would only be able to attend the office three days a week until July 17, an arrangement he said the employer had agreed to.
Despite the flexible arrangement, the intern claimed he worked every day, completing both in-office and remote assignments. He alleged that while office timings were supposed to be from 10:30 am to 6 pm, he often stayed back until 7:30 pm or even 9 pm, besides receiving work after office hours. He also claimed that he was assigned responsibilities beyond the scope of his internship.
The issue arose when his stipend was credited on July 5.
Instead of the promised Rs 10,000, the intern said he received only Rs 5,000.
When he questioned the payment, his manager allegedly told him the amount had been reduced because he had not attended the office regularly. The intern, however, argued that he had worked every day and believed that, based on the company's payment cycle, he should have received at least Rs 7,500.
He also pointed out that his daily commute involved travelling around 30 kilometres and took nearly three hours in total.
The intern said he planned to discuss the matter with his manager and would consider continuing only if the company increased his stipend. Otherwise, he intended to resign.
He also expressed concern that leaving the internship could affect his future campus placements, as he described the recruiter as being influential.
The post ended with the intern saying that despite the long hours, he had not gained any meaningful skills from the role and felt more exhausted than rewarded.
Take a look at the post here:
The post prompted several users to weigh in on the situation, with many advising the intern not to compromise on the terms that had been agreed upon before he joined.
Some commenters said he should focus on the original agreement rather than negotiating for a partial increase, arguing that the company had already accepted his three-day office attendance schedule and therefore should honour the promised stipend if he had fulfilled his responsibilities.
Others encouraged him to leave the internship altogether if the issue was not resolved, with a few suggesting that he explore legal remedies or file a complaint with the labour authorities if he believed the company had failed to meet its commitments.
Several users also advised him not to rely entirely on campus placements and instead continue looking for better opportunities elsewhere, saying that gaining meaningful experience and working in a healthier environment would be more valuable in the long run.
An intern claimed he was paid only half of his promised stipend despite working long hours, including weekends, leaving him questioning whether he should stay with the company or resign.
The employee shared his experience in a Reddit post on r/IndianWorkplace titled, “Internship promised Rs 10k, paid Rs 5k, stay or quit?”
According to the post, he joined the company as a Marketing Executive intern on June 8 with the understanding that he would receive a monthly stipend of 10,000.
Being a fourth-year college student graduating in 2027, he had informed the company before joining that he would only be able to attend the office three days a week until July 17, an arrangement he said the employer had agreed to.
Despite the flexible arrangement, the intern claimed he worked every day, completing both in-office and remote assignments. He alleged that while office timings were supposed to be from 10:30 am to 6 pm, he often stayed back until 7:30 pm or even 9 pm, besides receiving work after office hours. He also claimed that he was assigned responsibilities beyond the scope of his internship.
The issue arose when his stipend was credited on July 5.
Instead of the promised Rs 10,000, the intern said he received only Rs 5,000.
When he questioned the payment, his manager allegedly told him the amount had been reduced because he had not attended the office regularly. The intern, however, argued that he had worked every day and believed that, based on the company's payment cycle, he should have received at least Rs 7,500.
He also pointed out that his daily commute involved travelling around 30 kilometres and took nearly three hours in total.
The intern said he planned to discuss the matter with his manager and would consider continuing only if the company increased his stipend. Otherwise, he intended to resign.
He also expressed concern that leaving the internship could affect his future campus placements, as he described the recruiter as being influential.
The post ended with the intern saying that despite the long hours, he had not gained any meaningful skills from the role and felt more exhausted than rewarded.
Take a look at the post here:
The post prompted several users to weigh in on the situation, with many advising the intern not to compromise on the terms that had been agreed upon before he joined.
Some commenters said he should focus on the original agreement rather than negotiating for a partial increase, arguing that the company had already accepted his three-day office attendance schedule and therefore should honour the promised stipend if he had fulfilled his responsibilities.
Others encouraged him to leave the internship altogether if the issue was not resolved, with a few suggesting that he explore legal remedies or file a complaint with the labour authorities if he believed the company had failed to meet its commitments.
Several users also advised him not to rely entirely on campus placements and instead continue looking for better opportunities elsewhere, saying that gaining meaningful experience and working in a healthier environment would be more valuable in the long run.
