A recent incident shared anonymously on social media has ignited a fierce debate about toxic workplace culture and the brutal choices employees in India sometimes face between their careers and family emergencies. The story, posted on the Indian Workplace subreddit, involves a woman working for a prominent private bank and her manager's shockingly insensitive response to a critical family health crisis.
The Heartless Ultimatum: Job or Ailing Mother
The Reddit user explained that her mother's health had taken a serious turn for the worse due to incorrect medication. In this time of crisis, the employee sought a few days of leave from her manager to be by her mother's side. She emphasized that her request was not for an extended period, but simply for some essential time to provide care and support.
The manager's reply, however, was blunt and devoid of empathy. Instead of granting leave, the manager allegedly told her, "If she's not recovering, put her in a medical or shelter home and come to the office." The manager presented her with a stark ultimatum: she had to either report for duty immediately or stay with her mother, with no middle ground offered.
Resignation and a Search for Answers
Faced with this impossible choice, the employee chose her family. She stayed with her seriously ill mother and, soon after this distressing interaction, submitted her resignation from the bank where she had worked for several years. The incident left her deeply dejected and questioning professional norms.
In her post, she reached out to the online community seeking advice, asking fellow Redditors "what the right response is anymore in such workplaces." Her story resonated with thousands, triggering an outpouring of support, shared frustration, and condemnation of the manager's conduct.
Social Media Erupts in Anger and Solidarity
The Reddit post quickly went viral, with users expressing shock and sharing their own experiences with poor management.
One user recounted a similar experience with a manager who treated the bank branch like a personal fiefdom, harassing employees. They described finally confronting the manager and resigning shortly after, now happily running their own business.
Another commenter empathized deeply, writing, "Damn, I empathise with her and the feelings that she had to go through. There should be some legal way to get back at this crude kind of exploitation."
Practical advice was also offered. Several users questioned why she chose to resign instead of forcing the company to fire her. Others suggested she should have escalated the matter to the Human Resources department with valid medical documents to seek sanctioned long leave, instead of quitting outright. A common sentiment was that if company policies did not support employees in genuine distress, leaving was the better option. "Mother comes first, then job," concluded one highly upvoted comment.
The overarching reaction was one of fury towards the toxic work environment, with many demanding to know which company would tolerate such management behavior.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. The claims made in the original post have not been independently verified.
