What started as a promising career move has turned into a daily source of frustration for one young professional. A Reddit user, who joined as an intern last year and transitioned into a full-time role seven months ago, has shared a detailed account of what he describes as controlling and misleading behaviour by his manager. The post, now drawing attention online, lays out a pattern of incidents that left the employee questioning both his workplace and future in the field.
From the very beginning, the employee felt his manager came across as more authoritarian than supportive. At first, he assumed the tension might stem from the noticeable age gap between them. But over time, specific episodes began to stand out.
Lies about WFH and leaves
One of the earliest red flags involved the company’s work-from-home policy. The employee says he was told that freshers were not eligible for WFH. Trusting that information, he continued coming to the office every single day. However, two weeks later, HR reportedly expressed surprise at his daily presence, pointing out that others, including a classmate in the same company, were following a three-day work-from-office and two-day WFH structure. That moment raised serious doubts.
Leave policies added to the confusion. Just four months into his full-time stint, the manager allegedly informed him that his leave had already been exhausted. This came despite HR promoting an unlimited leave policy. The manager also maintained that the team was capped at 20 days annually. The employee insists he had taken only six days off, strictly for exams and medical reasons.
Attendance issue
Attendance accusations further strained the relationship. In one instance, the manager claimed the employee had been absent for three office days and even threatened to revoke WFH privileges. According to the post, the issue boiled down to forgetting to punch in on a day when both of them were physically present in the office.
Strict rules
Soon after, stricter measures were introduced. Team members working remotely were required to report login and logout times, along with short breaks, in a group chat. Office presence before the 10:30 am stand-up became mandatory. He notes that most colleagues typically arrive around 11 am, and that this routine had never previously been a problem.
When a teammate questioned the sudden rule changes, the manager allegedly said they were implemented because of him. The manager reportedly suggested that the employee wasted mornings and might not be working effectively during WFH, adding that he avoided addressing it directly to spare his feelings. Instead, the rules were applied across the entire team.
What particularly frustrated the employee was what he saw as a double standard. The manager, he claims, works from 9:30 am to 4 pm, leaves early, and completes tasks from home. Meanwhile, he commutes similar hours and consistently logs back in from home to finish work. Now, feeling disillusioned not only with his manager but also with the broader field he is in, the Reddit user has openly asked whether it is time to switch jobs as soon as possible. His experience has sparked conversations online about micromanagement, workplace transparency, and how young professionals should respond when trust with a manager breaks down.
Netizens react
Several users advised the fresher to seek a team switch instead of quitting immediately, especially with less than a year of experience. They suggested gathering proof of misleading claims and formally approaching HR rather than confronting the manager directly. Many recommended documenting every conversation, following up verbally imposed rules with emails, and looping in HR and senior leadership. Commenters described the situation as mental harassment, adding that escalation could prompt action, particularly in structured multinational firms.