Many professionals dread asking for emergency leave, fearing stressful conversations with managers. For Indian expatriate Ashwini Thamke, working in the Netherlands, this situation turned into a heartening moment that has since sparked widespread conversations about workplace culture differences online.
An Unexpected Response During Crisis
When Thamke needed to book a last-minute ticket to Mumbai due to a family medical emergency, she prepared for the difficult discussion about taking time off. Instead of resistance or bureaucratic hurdles, her Dutch manager responded with genuine empathy. "You can work from Mumbai if you're able to. Feel free to take leave. And please don't stress — family comes first," the manager told her.
Thamke described feeling "pleasantly surprised" by this response. She shared her experience in an Instagram post, noting how "unreal" this felt compared to workplace expectations she had experienced in India. Many Indian employees often hesitate to request leave even during genuine emergencies, anticipating guilt trips or pushback from management.
Cultural Contrasts in Workplace Practices
Thamke's story has resonated with professionals worldwide as conversations about work-life balance gain global traction. The Netherlands maintains social norms and employment laws that prioritize flexibility, trust, and humane management practices. Dutch workplaces typically emphasize result-oriented performance over presenteeism—the expectation that employees must be physically present regardless of personal circumstances.
Common Workplace Frustrations
This contrasts sharply with experiences shared by many employees in India and other regions. Viral social media posts and Reddit threads document numerous cases where workers faced insensitivity or outright denial when seeking leave for emergencies or health reasons. Professionals have shared stories about:
- Requests for work-from-home after a parent's death being met with lack of empathy
- Managers telling employees with headaches to "take medicine and come to work"
- Workers feeling pressured to prioritize office presence over family emergencies
These polar responses highlight how organizational cultures and leadership attitudes directly shape employees' sense of security and loyalty during personal crises.
Global Reactions and Broader Implications
Thamke's viral Instagram post has spotlighted what many describe as healthier workplace ethos in some European countries. "This is what true work-life balance looks like in the Netherlands," she wrote, praising a model built on respect, trust, and humanity.
Social media reactions have reflected broader debates about global work culture. Some users agreed that supportive leave policies remain rare in India and called for cultural change to make seeking emergency support less stressful. Others pointed out that not all Indian workplaces are unsympathetic, emphasizing that positive change must originate within organizations and leadership.
Many international professionals shared similar experiences of moving to Western workplaces and noticing significant differences in manager empathy and leave flexibility. This discussion extends beyond a single incident, tapping into wider conversations about:
- Employee rights during personal crises
- Mental health support in professional settings
- The role of compassion in workplace management
The Evolving Workplace Landscape
As remote work and hybrid employment structures continue evolving, stories like Thamke's influence how both employees and employers think about trust, autonomy, and balance. While work demands inevitably exist, how organizations respond to human needs during family emergencies, health crises, or personal milestones increasingly defines their reputation and employee satisfaction.
For Indian professionals navigating careers abroad or engaging with multinational teams, this episode serves as more than an anecdote. It represents a reference point in a larger cultural shift toward humane, flexible, and life-affirming workplaces. Whether this leads to tangible policy changes in India or simply sparks more conversations about leadership empathy, Thamke's story highlights a universal truth: work should enhance life, not eclipse it.
The growing global dialogue about workplace culture suggests that employee well-being is becoming central to how organizations measure success. As boundaries between work and personal life continue blurring, especially in remote work scenarios, compassionate responses during emergencies may become expected rather than exceptional.
