“Did you work two weekends for this?” »: Employee’s Diwali leave request rejected, viral Reddit post hits too close to home

A WhatsApp conversation between an employee and his manager, now viral on Reddit, has sparked a debate on workplace inflexibility and lack of appreciation that many Indian employees face even after working overtime.

The post captures the frustration of an employee whose Diwali compensation request was rejected despite working weekends to earn it. In the exchange, the employee politely reminds his manager of a prior discussion regarding compensatory leave.

The employee wrote, “Ma’am please let me use Compoff for 2 days in the week of Diwali. I have already obtained permission from all the seniors,” he wrote. The director, however, denied the claim, responding curtly: “Demo k time toh baat nai hua.”

The employee then responded, “You asked me if you would be pregnant next week and then I told you I had to take time off, but you said it was okay. »

According to the message, the employee had worked two weekends – spending more than 12 hours each time – with the understanding that he could use his compensatory time off during the Diwali week. But now HR has refused to approve it, leaving the employee upset after already making party plans.

The incident struck a chord with many Reddit users, who shared similar experiences: being denied basic time off or having to work too much without compensation.

One commenter recalls, “Back in the day, I got into an argument with my manager on Independence Day because I wasn’t responding to his emails. He yelled at me and told me I had to respond to emails within 2 hours – with or without time off. HR told me that was the company culture. I updated my resume that day and started paying attention.”

Another user offered words of support: “Hang on. Keep saying ‘this too shall pass,’ because it will. »

Others encouraged the employee to stand firm and not tolerate unfair treatment: “Don’t ask, just inform them that you are taking time off for weekend work. If they deny it too, don’t work overtime next time,” one wrote.

Another added: “Your job should give you some benefits. Don’t think about the evaluation – you obviously don’t want to work here for long.”

One commenter summed it up: “If working harder doesn’t bring recognition or respect, maybe it’s time to stop showing up early and start showing up for yourself.” »