Employee seeks leave after grandfather’s death; manager’s shocking ‘Be active on WhatsApp’ reply goes viral
Employee seeks leave after grandfather’s death; manager’s shocking ‘Be active on WhatsApp’ reply goes viral
A conversation that recently surfaced on Reddit has reignited discussions about empathy in the workplace after an Indian employee revealed how his manager reacted to a request for time off following the death of his grandfather. What should have been a straightforward and compassionate approval of bereavement leave instead exposed the unrealistic expectations some employees continue to face.
The employee shared a screenshot of his WhatsApp message, where he informed his manager early in the morning that his nana had passed away and that he wouldn’t be able to come to the office. While the manager began with an expression of sympathy, the response took a jarring turn. He wrote that the employee could take the day off, but insisted he remain available online, participate in an induction call for new clients, stay active on WhatsApp and assist designers whenever required.
This reaction, which many felt reduced personal grief to a workplace inconvenience, spread quickly across social media and sparked widespread criticism.
In his Reddit post, the employee further described the demanding environment at the agency. Over the last two years, he said his responsibilities were repeatedly shifted, tasks outside his job description became routine, and workloads increased after the company laid off staff citing “tight funds.” Despite the instability, he mentioned that he genuinely enjoyed working alongside his team and never raised complaints until this incident pushed him beyond his limit.
He questioned how managers could overlook the fact that employees are humans with emotions, writing that it wasn’t his fault the company had no one else to handle his work and asking why some leaders treat people like machines programmed to deliver results.
Do you have to sell your soul to be an Indian manager?
byu/sanity-error-404 inIndianWorkplace
The comment section quickly filled with strong reactions, with users criticizing the manager’s behaviour and pointing out how common it has become for employees to be pressured into staying available even during personal emergencies. Some of the most upvoted reactions included: “The problem is people; they take everything for granted, I have always opposed anything, even opposed one minute more than working hours,” “At this point, honestly just look for a different job, and while resigning put the screenshot in the email and mark the CEO and the management on it,” “Take a day off should never be followed with a but,” “So sorry for your loss, you should tell him clearly how wrong he is or he’ll assume this behaviour is acceptable and repeat it with someone else,” “I don’t think exposing it will change much, but hopefully it makes management think,” and “One thing I learned through experience is never be loyal to an organisation because in business there’s no room for emotions for anyone.”
