An employee shared how his manager asked him to continue working despite being unwell, sparking a wider conversation online about toxic workplace expectations and the lack of boundaries in some offices.
The post, shared on r/IndianWorkplace, was titled “Manager wants me to work while I’m sick.” In it, the employee included a screenshot of a conversation with his manager that left several users enraged.
According to him, the employee had informed his manager that he would be taking leave due to health issues, writing, “Good morning sir, I will be on leave today as I have severe stomach issues and weakness.”
However, instead of acknowledging the leave, the manager responded by questioning the timing, saying in Hindi, “Kya yaar kaam ke pressure ke time pe chhutti marte ho” (roughly translating to “Why do you take leave when there’s work pressure?”).
He then went on to assign tasks regardless, asking the employee to check something “if possible” before adding, “We need that urgently.”
In his caption of his post, the employee explained that this wasn’t an isolated incident. He claimed that his manager frequently expected him to work while unwell, called him at odd hours, and even made him work on weekends without a proper day off since joining the company. He also pointed out the irony that he worked in the HR department, which was typically responsible for employee welfare.
The post received strong reactions from users, with many criticising the manager’s behaviour and calling it a clear example of poor workplace culture.
Several commenters said that if an employee communicated they were unwell, managers should respect that without question, adding that such behaviour reflected a lack of basic empathy and professionalism. Others remarked that the tone of the manager’s messages came across as immature and dismissive.
Some users also advised the employee to start setting firm boundaries, suggesting that consistently complying with such demands could encourage further overreach. They pointed out that managers often pushed limits when they sense employees were unlikely to push back.
The incident brought up discussions on an ongoing issue in several workplaces, where productivity was prioritised over employee well-being, and taking sick leave was sometimes viewed negatively.