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‘Headache main chutti thodi na milti hai’: Indian manager refuses leave to ‘hero’ employee

An employee's post about his manager not approving his leave has sparked a discussion on Reddit about toxic managers in the Indian workplace.

Updated on: Oct 5, 2025, 15:27:10 IST
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An employee shared a screenshot claiming it shows his conversation with his Indian boss, who refused to approve a leave request and belittled him by saying no one gets an off for “just headaches."

A Redditor shared a screenshot claiming it shows his conversation with his Indian manager. (Representational image). (Unsplash)
A Redditor shared a screenshot claiming it shows his conversation with his Indian manager. (Representational image). (Unsplash)

“My manager when I ask for a leave,” a Reddit user posted, adding, “How does one even work with a headache??”

Also Read: Man with 6 years’ experience joins startup as manager, shocked as junior ‘guides’ him rudely

As per the WhatsApp screenshot, the boss insists that the employee come to the office despite him saying he has a headache. At one point, the boss, who keeps on addressing the employee as “hero,” says, “Headache main chutti thodi na milti hai (You don’t get leave for having a headache).” The manager then adds that it's professional life, and the employee is not in school.

Take a look at the post:

How did social media react?

An individual posted, “50% of India's traffic problems will be solved if IT guys are asked to do WFH.” Another added, “That is so horrible. You are entitled to sick leave; just apply for one.”

Also Read: Indian man was fired from US job at 7 am in daily meeting. Months later, his startup hits $50k revenue

A third commented, “In my previous company, I made this habit of not taking leave and my manager is so happy I’m not taking leaves and working like a donkey and one bad day it was viral fever and it was too much even to sit, I messaged in teams saying I can’t work today due to viral fever and he was like please can you work for half day and I was like wt* man, while others in my team literally take sick leave twice or thrice a month. And in the next 4 months, I left that s**t job and now in a new company, I don’t work like a mad man all month without taking leaves, even when I’m fine, I take sick leave once a month.”

A fourth wrote, “I never ‘ask’ for leaves. I take leave and inform. I adjust on other days to compensate. Inko sar pe mat chadhao ye naachne lagte hai.”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More

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