A Hyderabad-based techie has claimed he was asked to continue working during his paternity leave, even as his premature newborn was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), triggering outrage online over workplace insensitivity.
In a Reddit post titled “My manager asked me to work during paternity leave despite having informed about it 5 months before”, the techie said he had recently become a father to a premature baby who required NICU care due to respiratory distress. He claimed that despite informing both his manager and HR in advance about availing two weeks of paternity leave in April, he was still contacted for work and assigned tasks.
“I informed my manager that this is the situation he still called me and asked me about work and assigning me tasks ( despite me taking leave),” he wrote.
The engineer also alleged that this was not an isolated incident. Recalling a previous episode, he said that when his pregnant wife was hospitalised last year, he was asked to work till 3 am despite no urgent dependency. He added that despite delivering a critical project successfully, his efforts were “not at all valued”.
Expressing frustration, he wrote that when he prioritised family this time, his manager allegedly threatened him, saying such concerns should have been raised earlier and that “anyone can replace” him.
{{/usCountry}}Expressing frustration, he wrote that when he prioritised family this time, his manager allegedly threatened him, saying such concerns should have been raised earlier and that “anyone can replace” him.
{{/usCountry}}“This is purely unprofessional and he is a doing this repeatedly and the company is a one of the major insurance company in the world,” the user concluded.
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Social media reactions
The post quickly gained traction, drawing strong reactions from professionals across the tech community, many of whom criticised the manager’s alleged conduct as unprofessional and insensitive. Several users advised the employee to escalate the matter, while others urged him to prioritise family and set clear boundaries.
“Please take a firm stand, inform HR, and hold a discussion with the stakeholders. If HR is biased toward your manager, please escalate it to HR's immediate senior. STAY FIRM AND DON'T SETTLE AT ANY POINT. You'll see your manager giving up, and this will surely make your life better in the future,” one user wrote.
“He is a prime example of how low can a person get. Do not entertain him and enjoy these days with your newborn and your wife,” commented another.
“Draw boundaries. Dont take calls. If he removes u let him. I undertand but if this continues it will get worse in case of emergencies. Family is priority number 1. We have to be there for our family. If policy Clearly states leave then take it to hr or senior,” wrote a third user.
“The toxic IT work culture is getting out of hands now. How can someone work before the 2 weeks of delivery phase and it's sometimes uncertain , no one knows the exact date , it's illogical. And making you do his job till 3 am shows , he thinks you are an easy target, you can be a good person , he isn't and , this 2 week leave is proper harassment ! Report it to the hr , leave the company if nothing happens,” said another.
(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.)