Girlfriend Leaving Tomorrow: Manager Approves Employee’s “Love Leave”, Office Mail Goes Viral
Girlfriend Leaving Tomorrow: Manager Approves Employee’s “Love Leave”, Office Mail Goes Viral
Office leave emails have long been associated with hurried excuses, but a recent LinkedIn post has sparked fresh discussion around how workplace attitudes toward time off are evolving. A manager’s decision to share and appreciate an employee’s candid leave request quickly went viral, triggering widespread conversation about transparency, empathy, and trust at work.
The post included a screenshot of an email from an employee requesting leave on December 16. Instead of citing illness or an emergency, the employee openly explained that his girlfriend was set to leave for her hometown in Uttarakhand the next day and would not return until early January. Wanting to spend meaningful time with her before the separation, he chose to be honest with his manager.
“Hi Sir, I wanted to request a leave on 16th December. My girlfriend is leaving for her home in Uttarakhand on the 17th and won’t be back until early January, so I’d like to spend that day with her before she leaves. Let me know if this works,” the leave request email read.
Sharing the screenshot, the manager reflected on how such situations were handled in the past and how much things have changed.
“Received this in my inbox recently. A decade ago, this would’ve come as a sudden ‘sick leave’ message at 9:15 AM. Today, it’s a transparent request sent well in advance. Times are changing. And honestly? I prefer this version. Can’t say no to love, can we? Leave approved,” the manager wrote.
The post resonated strongly with LinkedIn users, many of whom praised both the honesty of the employee and the manager’s understanding response. Some users highlighted the emotional sincerity behind the request.
“That’s really a genuine leave request. Yes, for love and care, it can be always Yes,” one user wrote. Others used the moment to question long-standing workplace norms around explaining personal leave.
“Still wonder why there’s a need to try so hard to justify personal leave. A healthy work culture should trust people enough that saying, ‘I need a personal day,’ is sufficient,” another user commented. A separate comment echoed the same concern while stressing the importance of personal boundaries.
“Having to give reasons for personal leave is sad. We need to do better. It should be nobody’s business whether to meet his boyfriend, or his dog’s girlfriend,” a user wrote.
As the discussion continued, the viral post grew into a larger reflection on modern work culture. Beyond a single leave request, it highlighted a shift toward greater openness and mutual respect, while also raising questions about how much employees should be expected to share. The conversation suggests that workplace norms are slowly changing—moving away from excuses and toward honesty, one email at a time.
