‘Low pay for exposure, be grateful…’ Ankur Warikoo lists 5 green flags, one red to consider while staying at your job

Author and entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo in a post on LinkedIn has outlined five signs you can look at to assess whether a job is worth staying in, and only one red flag that could indicate you should walk out the door for good.

Noting that many workers and jobseekers are faced with pressure to accept low pay for “exposure and learning” and demands to be grateful because “at least you have a job”, the founding CEO of Groupon India noted that “respect, growth, and fair pay aren’t luxuries” but “the bare minimum”.

The interactive post on professional networking site LinkedIn last week, Warikoo painted a picture: “Endure long hours and accept low pay in the name of “exposure” and “learning”. If it gets too hard? “At least you have a job - be grateful.” But gratitude shouldn’t cost you your health or dignity.”

He added, “A good job can be demanding, but it won’t make you feel small. It will challenge you without breaking you. Respect, growth, and fair pay aren’t luxuries. They’re the bare minimum.”

Five signs a job is worth staying in & one sign of a toxic job

Here are the green flags that make a job worth staying in:

• You are respected for who you are
• There is acknowledgement of what you do
• You are rewarded for how well you do it
• There is growth while you do it
• You are mentored when you lose track

The one red flag that should make you consider moving to better opportunities:

• You dread going to work everyday

Netizens agree that work culture important: ‘If you can’t worry about your health, no one else will’

Responses on the post were mostly in agreement, with users adding on their own experiences and other aspects that create a toxic work environment.

One user, a counselor, noted, “Employees often stay in organizations for stability or because they genuinely appreciate the culture. Yet, in my work as a psychologist, I see the quieter, more toxic barriers that often go unnoticed: struggling to fit in, gradually losing interest in the work, or constantly second-guessing decisions and tasks.”

She highlighted the unseen stressors, adding, “These experiences may not always be visible, but they slowly erode confidence and engagement. It could eventually lead to Sunday evening anxiety or unsettled/ unpleasant Monday morning! If left unaddressed, they don’t just impact performance, they could lead to mental absenteeism and, eventually, burnout.”

Another user added that one must take care of their health, noting, “If a job makes you feel small, try losing your health to the last bit. You’ll have a jarring realisation at the end — no one cares. If you can’t worry about your health, no one else will.”

One user also felt that overwork is normalised, “Completely agree. We need to stop normalising exhaustion as ambition and gratitude as a substitute for fairness. Real leadership measures success not just by output, but by whether people feel respected and valued while delivering it,” they wrote.

A user also felt that the line between gratitude and guilt is often blurred with toxic traits glorified as “character building”, and the better method is to challenge employees while being fair. “This is such an important line to draw. Gratitude is healthy. Guilt-based gratitude is not. “Be grateful you have a job” gets used too often to normalize underpaying people, overworking them, and calling it “character building.” A demanding job can stretch you—but if it consistently costs you your health or self-respect, that’s not growth. That’s exploitation with better branding. “Exposure” and “learning” are not currencies you can pay rent with, and they shouldn’t be used to excuse long hours, low pay, or disrespect. The best workplaces challenge you while still treating you like a human: fair compensation, clear boundaries, and feedback that builds you up,” the user added.