‘No sick or personal leave allowed’: Jobseeker shares shocking HR call experience

A viral LinkedIn post about a job call has triggered discussion on strict leave policies.

A LinkedIn post by Upasana Sarbajna detailing an unusual interaction with a recruiter has sparked widespread discussion online, with many users questioning the alleged leave policy described during the conversation.

Woman reacting to a stressful work call. (Linkedin/@Upasana Sarbajna )

In her post, Sarbajna said she received an unexpected call from a company she chose not to name. While she noted that HR calls are common in today’s job market, this particular conversation stood out for its unusual policy discussion.

“The other day I received a very surprising call from a company. I shall not take their name, but it was surprising enough for me to pen my thoughts about it,” she wrote, adding that the initial part of the conversation lasted around 10 minutes and focused on the company’s vision and client base.

According to her post, the tone of the discussion changed when the recruiter introduced the company’s leave policy.

“At the end, they finally brought up their leave policy and that is when things went south,” she wrote.

She alleged that she was told the company followed a “flexible leave policy,” which included festival holidays but did not permit sick or personal leave.

“They said to me, ‘We have a flexible leave policy. You will get holidays on festivals and stuff, however, our leave policy does not entertain employees taking sick or personal leaves whatsoever,’” she quoted in her post.

She further claimed that any sick or personal leave would be treated as loss of pay. “If the employee does take a leave for personal reason, it will be considered a loss of pay. So, if you are hypothetically getting paid ₹10,000 a month, one leave might cost you ₹1,000,” she added.

Sarbajna said she was left stunned by the statement and chose to end the call shortly after. She also expressed concern over what she described as exploitative practices.

“I told them I needed some time to think it through and I disconnected the call. And I still feel in shock at how companies take advantage of the lack of a stern labour law to exploit employees to this extent. How is this even allowed?” she wrote.

Internet reacts

The post triggered strong reactions on LinkedIn, with users debating the legality and ethics of such a policy.

One user commented, “The leave policy is truly sick!”

Another wrote, “This is more shocking than surprising. Holidays are not a favour or reward - basic sick and casual leaves are mandatory. A ₹1,000 deduction for a day? How are they even calculating this?”

A user added, “Sick leave is mandatory in all states in India.”

Another said, “Very well written. This is the reality in most Indian organisations.”

One comment read, “I just have one question: what?”

Another user wrote, “Dear HR of this company, calling it a ‘flexible leave policy’ when every leave is unpaid is like calling a salary ‘performance-linked’ because you can choose not to pay it.”