Employee Resigns From Job After Boss Denies His Leave, Their WhatsApp Chat Goes Viral

In many Indian workplaces, taking a day off feels like asking for a favor. Employees often hesitate to request leave, fearing judgment or disapproval. Usually, leave, which should be a basic right, becomes a negotiation. Managers frequently question the reason for leave and ask for personal details that cross professional boundaries, causing discomfort and a sense of intrusion among workers.

Consequently, many employees avoid taking leave even when necessary, worried that it might harm their image or future assessments. The real issue, however, is workplace culture rather than policies. Although most companies have clear leave policies, supervisors often see leave as a sign of irresponsibility or lack of commitment. This perception has led many employees to abruptly leave their jobs. A recent Reddit post reflects this growing concern among employees.

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Employee denied leave for not revealing ‘personal work’

Recently, an Indian employee working with a U.S.-based startup took to Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplaces to share his recent interaction with his boss. The employee, who had joined the startup just a month ago, says he developed a medical condition within the first month, and his doctors advised him to rest. On November 11, he sought a day’s leave to go home for some personal reasons. However, not only was his leave denied, but also what he faced was very strange.

In his post, he posted screenshots of his WhatsApp chat with his boss. In the conversation, the employee sent a polite request for a day’s leave on November 11 for ‘personal reasons.’ However, to his surprise, his manager pressed for details on the specific ‘personal work.’ When the employee refused to elaborate, the leave request was denied.

Reddit

Furious at what he perceived as an intrusion into his private life, the employee retorted that he had taken only two days off earlier, on national holidays. He also added that under such circumstances, he could not continue anymore.

Reddit

He also stated in his post that he had revoked his boss’s access to his Google Drive for fear that he might not be paid for the current month’s work.

The boss later apologizes, calling it a miscommunication

He further shared screenshots of WhatsApp messages after the resignation, showing that his boss reached out later to express regret over the situation and asked for an amicable resolution.

Reddit

After a phone call, both parties agreed to move forward amicably. His boss apologized and realized that it was all due to poor communication. The employee, however, clarified that he only shared the post for the purpose of emphasizing the establishment of limits in one’s line of work.

In an edit to the post, he says the boss, who is not Indian, himself admitted that he did not know the local way of working or communication. He says the company is a small startup operation, with just 3–4 employees, and this cultural gap resulted in misunderstandings.

However, he also mentioned that he had been putting in extra hours, including on weekends, to meet deadlines. Still, the denial of leave felt disrespectful.

Have a look at the original post

Joined here a month ago, leave denied, resigned immediately, asked to stay.
byu/scaringthepharmacist inIndianWorkplace

How did people react to his post?

The post went viral online, with thousands upvoting and commenting that this was their story too. Have a look at some of the comments that the post received:

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