A Delhi-based employee’s request to work from home due to health issues triggered by the city’s hazardous air quality was denied by their manager, who instead suggested the employee take leave, but still finish their assigned tasks.
The worker shared screenshots of the exchange in a viral Reddit post titled “Denied WFH despite health issues from Delhi pollution”, questioning whether it was “too much to expect empathy” from their bosses.
In the post, the employee wrote, “I’m in Delhi and like many others, I’ve been struggling with a severe headache for the past two days, likely due to the AQI crisis. Despite this, I’ve been reporting to the office regularly. I even stayed back till 8:45 PM yesterday, well beyond work hours, purely due to project commitments, all while managing my health.”
The employee said they requested WFH for just one day not leave to avoid worsening their condition while continuing to work. Their manager dismissed the request, saying that “everyone is suffering from pollution” and allowing WFH would be “difficult” since other employees were coming in.
The employee also claimed they had repeatedly asked the company to install air purifiers in the office, but management refused for unclear reasons.
“It’s beyond me how basic health concerns are being brushed aside like this. Is it too much to expect empathy when you’re literally offering to work through sickness, just from a safer environment?” they wrote.
Social Media Reactions: ‘Please Find Another Job’
As the post went viral, users on social media expressed outrage and urged the employee to switch jobs, calling the manager’s behaviour “inhumane.”
One Redditor wrote: “Hideous that he pulled the ‘I have headaches too!’ card. How dare you take care of yourself when he refuses to?”
Another said, “Being a middle-class taxpayer today is choosing between two evils, government and toxic managers.”
A third commented: “Take leave but still work? That doesn’t even make sense. Please find another job with humane policies.”
A fourth suggested a silent protest: “Health cannot be compromised. Wear a high-quality pollution mask inside the office too.”