Overview

• During a June meeting, a senior American colleague told the 32-year-old Indian contractor to stop speaking because they could not understand his accent.
• The contractor shared the incident on Reddit, where his post quickly went viral and drew thousands of reactions about discrimination and inclusion.
• In response to the uproar, his manager instructed him to route all further questions and updates through management rather than speak directly to that colleague.
• Online commentators and peers have recommended tools such as shared documents for written Q&A and accent coaching to overcome pronunciation barriers.
• The episode has reignited debates over cross-cultural communication and the need for equitable practices in global teams.