Mumbai Startup Founder Sends Employee on Paid Getaway Instead of Cutting Salary After Poor Performance

Founder says understanding an employee’s personal challenges helped improve performance more than a financial penalty.

A Mumbai startup founder has drawn widespread appreciation on social media after choosing empathy over punishment when one of his employees struggled with performance. Instead of reducing her salary after a difficult month, he arranged a fully paid three-day getaway to help her regain focus and return to work refreshed.

The incident was shared by Blue Lobster Media founder Dhruv Mukherjee in a LinkedIn post, where he described how the company’s Content Operations Lead, Aarya, had been facing performance issues for nearly a month.

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According to Mukherjee, content approvals were getting delayed, edits that usually took about an hour were taking more than four hours, and the overall quality of work had become inconsistent. He discussed the concerns with Aarya and the two worked on possible solutions.

“We worked on some solutions and she assured me – ‘I will fix it,'” Mukherjee wrote.

However, despite those discussions, the problems continued. Mukherjee eventually told her, “This is not working out. Maybe you’re not ready for an operations role.”

The feedback left Aarya disappointed. Wanting another opportunity to prove herself, she even suggested that her salary be reduced if necessary.

“I promise I can do it. You can take whatever penalty you think is valid, but please give me more time,” she told him.

During a follow-up conversation, Mukherjee realised that Aarya had been dealing with personal challenges that were affecting her ability to concentrate at work despite her sincere efforts. Instead of imposing a salary cut, he decided to support her differently.

He arranged a three-day Airbnb stay, with all expenses paid by the company. The plan allowed her to spend two days working in a distraction-free environment and one day relaxing before returning to the office. He also booked a desk for her at a co-working space near her home so she would have a quieter and more consistent workspace going forward.

Sharing the experience, Mukherjee wrote, “My employee had a bad month, and asked me to dock her pay. I sent her on a paid getaway instead.”

He further explained, “Yes, it’s an added expense in her CTC. But she looks forward to going to work every day, and is happy with her own work. Which reflects in the results.”

Reflecting on the experience, he added that employers often forget “employees are people first, professionals second.”

“A little empathy goes a long way, in building both their career and a stronger team,” he wrote, inviting others to share their views.

The post quickly attracted praise from professionals across LinkedIn, many describing the decision as an example of compassionate leadership.

One user commented, “Love this Dhruv Mukherjee you created psychological safety that rarely shows up on a balance sheet, but it quietly changes how people perform. When someone feels safe enough to admit they’re struggling, the real problem becomes much easier to solve.”

Another wrote, “Great call, Dhruv. Leading with empathy like this is what builds real loyalty and long-term performance. People remember how you showed up for them when things were hard.”

A third user added, “This is such an important reminder that behaviour is only the visible part of the story. Before judging performance, understanding the person behind it can completely change the conversation. Empathy and accountability don’t have to exist separately.”