An Indian employee has gone viral after sharing an alarming workplace experience on Reddit, revealing that his manager repeatedly demanded he continue working — even while he was hospitalized and instructed by doctors to remain on complete bed rest for 15 days.
Posting on the subreddit r/IndianWorkplace under the title “Sharing What Happened When I Took Sick Leave After Surgery,” the employee explained that this was his first long medical leave in years, noting that he had never taken more than three days off at a time. He said he had endured pain for three to four months before opting for surgery, only after medication failed and after deliberately scheduling the procedure during the company’s off-season to reduce impact on the team.
Even before the operation, he worked overtime and through weekends to ensure a smooth handover. Despite all this, the manager called him on the day of his surgery — while he was under anesthesia — and he only managed to respond the following day.
According to the employee, things escalated quickly:
“From the third day of leave, my manager started asking me to work from my bed. By the seventh day, he was already asking when I could return to full-time work,” he wrote. He added that he had already submitted his discharge summary, medical certificates, and instructions for strict rest, but the manager continued to insist that “you can work lying down.”
The screenshots went viral, triggering widespread anger among netizens, who slammed the manager’s behavior as abusive and unprofessional. Many urged the employee to set boundaries or even resign.
Comments included:
- “Just turn off your notifications. This is ridiculous.”
- “If it were me, I’d have exploded already. I’d reply once politely and then stop taking calls.”
- “Your leave was approved. Rest. They clearly don’t care about your health.”
- “He’s not fit to be a boss. He can’t manage anything.”
Some users criticized a broader cultural issue in Indian workplaces, saying employees are often made to feel guilty for taking legitimate leave.
“You don’t owe your manager constant updates during approved sick leave,” one commenter wrote. “You need to protect your boundaries.”
Others shared similar stories, noting that some managers avoid putting requests in writing to prevent evidence from leaking.
The incident has reignited debate about toxic work culture in India, the lack of respect for medical leave, and the need for stronger protections for employee health and well-being.
