A Delhi employee’s request to work from home due to deteriorating health caused by the city’s hazardous air quality has been rejected by their manager, sparking a wider online debate about empathy in the workplace during Delhi’s pollution crisis.
The employee shared screenshots of the exchange virally Reddit post titled “WFH Rejected Despite Delhi Pollution Health Issues.” In the post, the user said he had been dealing with severe headaches for two days amid toxic AQI levels in the capital, but continued to go to the office – even staying back until 8.45pm the previous day due to project deadlines.
When they finally asked for a single day of work from home instead of taking vacation time, the manager reportedly replied that “everyone is suffering from pollution” and allowing WFH would be “difficult” because more employees were coming.
A Reddit user also claimed that he had been asking for air purifiers in the office for over a week, but the management refused and gave no clear reasons.
“It’s beyond me how underlying health issues are brushed aside like this,” the user wrote, asking if it was “too much to expect empathy” when they were still willing to work through the illness.
The Internet Responds
The post quickly gained traction, with several users prompting a manager response and urging the employee to move to a workplace that provides support.
One commenter wrote: “Horrible he pulled the ‘I have a headache too’ card. How dare you rest when he doesn’t!”
Another said: “What’s the point of sick leave if you still have to work? Ridiculous.”
Some offered practical advice and suggested that the employee formally document the problem. “Request sick leave via email. If he’s still assigning work, ask him to put it on the record and then escalate,” suggested one user.
Others highlighted the larger problem of living and working in polluted cities. “Empathy feels like a privilege now. North India goes through this everyday,” the user wrote, adding that even Bengaluru is experiencing rising dust pollution.
