12 hours of work, 7 days a week—Ex-employee alleges toxic work culture at Giga

An ex-employee has accused Giga, an AI startup founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni, of fostering a toxic work culture that demanded 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. Jared Steele, who joined the San Francisco-based startup company, quit after just a day, citing false compensation promises, red flags in management practices, and restrictive leave policies.

The allegations come shortly after Giga raised $61 million in Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures in early November.

In a post on the social media platform X, Steele mentioned that he was hired by Giga in 2025 to lead demand generation. However, he resigned after a day upon observing “red flags everywhere."

LiveMint has contacted Giga founders, and the story will be updated once a response is received. Also Read | ‘Sent me a