n India’s fast-paced corporate sector, stories of employees struggling to balance personal emergencies with rigid workplace rules are becoming increasingly common. From denied sick leave to questionable HR practices, many professionals say empathy often takes a back seat to policy. One such incident, recently shared on Reddit, has triggered intense discussion online after a senior woman bank employee was allegedly forced to choose between her job and caring for a critically ill family member.
According to the Reddit post, the employee had sought a few days of leave to attend to her father-in-law, who was described as being in critical condition. The post stated that she followed official procedure and submitted medical documentation to support her request. However, instead of receiving support, she was allegedly subjected to a humiliating response from the HR department.
The account claimed that HR told her that caring for her father-in-law was not her responsibility and that it should be handled by her husband. Based on this reasoning, she was reportedly presented with a harsh ultimatum: continue working or be with her critically ill family member. Faced with this situation, the employee chose to resign from her position.
The post further alleged that the decision came at a heavy personal cost. After losing her job and income, the woman is said to be mentally distressed and struggling to put her life back together, highlighting the long-term impact of such workplace decisions.
Online reactions highlight concerns over work culture
The incident quickly drew attention on Reddit, with several users expressing anger and disappointment over what they described as an inhumane work environment. One commenter suggested that incidents like these reflect how deeply broken workplace culture has become, particularly when employees face personal or family crises.
In a follow-up comment, the original poster identified the organisation involved as ICICI Bank. This disclosure prompted additional reactions, with another user claiming that similar practices were occurring across the bank in different locations. These claims, however, are based on user comments and have not been independently verified.
Questions raised over resignation and responsibility
While many responses were sympathetic, some users questioned why the employee resigned instead of exploring legal or internal options. A commenter pointed out that termination on such grounds would be difficult to justify, even in a private sector organisation.
Others focused on the family dynamics mentioned in the post. Some argued that the responsibility of caring for a father-in-law should not rest entirely on the woman, while acknowledging that families often share caregiving duties depending on circumstances. One user noted that while it may be reasonable to expect a spouse to be involved, denying leave simply because the employee chose to step in was unnecessarily harsh.