‘Leave Denied, Resigned Instantly’: Employee Quits US-Based Startup, Later Asked to Rejoin
‘Leave Denied, Resigned Instantly’: Employee Quits US-Based Startup, Later Asked to Rejoin
Reddit post showing WhatsApp conversation goes viral with 2,000 upvotes, employee reveals he had worked overtime and taken only Diwali holidays
An employee working remotely for a US-based startup from India resigned immediately after his manager denied his leave request. The conversation, which took place over WhatsApp, was shared on Reddit’s “IndianWorkplace” community and quickly went viral.
The employee, using the handle posted screenshots titled “Joined here a month ago, leave denied, resigned immediately, asked to stay.” The conversation shows he requested leave for November 11, stating he would remain available for urgent work if needed.
When the boss asked for the reason, the employee explained he needed to visit home for personal work, a two-hour journey. The manager pressed further, asking about the nature of the personal matter. The employee responded that he was not comfortable disclosing personal affairs and asked if he could take the leave.
The boss replied that since the employee had joined only a month ago and had already been “more than accommodating with time off,” the answer was no.
Immediate resignation follows
The employee countered that he had taken only two days off the previous month, which were national holidays. He then tendered his resignation via WhatsApp, offering to serve a one-week notice period if required.
The boss said he would speak with him on Monday, but the frustrated employee ignored further messages. Later, the manager reached out again, suggesting the issue could be resolved on “amicable terms” and referring to a possible “miscommunication, brother.”
Employee explains context
In his Reddit post, the employee provided background to the situation. He revealed he had developed a medical condition due to stress but decided to manage it himself. He had been working overtime to meet deadlines throughout the month.
“I was shocked when he asked for a reason, and really got pissed off when he denied the leave because I didn’t provide a reason,” he wrote.
The “time off” the boss referenced was actually Diwali leave, which the employee had informed him about a week in advance. After resigning, he revoked access to the shared drive, concerned that payment for completed work might be withheld since the resignation had been sent over WhatsApp.
The two had another conversation afterward. The employee made clear his position, stating he would have managed project delays by working at night and was willing to take unpaid leaves if payment was the concern. “I have worked at a lot of toxic places and I am not gonna let people rule over me,” he stated.
Social media response
The post, tagged “Workplace Toxicity,” received over 2,000 upvotes on Reddit. Users supported the employee’s decision in the comments section.
“Trust once broken can never be repaired. Please find another job and move on,” one user advised. The employee replied that he had cleared two rounds of interviews at another company and was awaiting confirmation.
Another commented on the manager’s tone change, “Lol ‘brother’. Look how the tune has changed.”
“Once they realise they can’t control you, it humbles them very quickly,” a third user observed.
The incident highlights ongoing debates about workplace boundaries, employee rights to privacy regarding leave reasons, and management approaches in startup environments where rapid growth sometimes conflicts with employee welfare considerations.
