An India-based retail banker sparked an online debate after he shared a screenshot of an email in which his manager refused to approve his planned vacation. A post shared on Reddit’s ‘r/IndianWorkplace’ drew widespread criticism of the company’s work culture.
Employee says routine requests are blocked
Under the title “Scheduled Vacations,” the employee explained that despite scheduling time off a month in advance, his supervisor consistently refused to approve even “two days of continuous vacation.” He noted that he had already submitted his schedule for December and January.
According to him, this has become a monthly pattern. “She cries like a baby every month when I mention two consecutive days as ‘holiday’ and then have to break it up into separate days,” he wrote. The manager reportedly claimed that “the team is small” and any absence “puts pressure on other members”.
The banker questioned how anyone could organize a short trip or holiday without being allowed two consecutive days off, stressing that his request did not include “clubbing any holidays or weekends”.
Look at viral Reddit post here
Reddit highlights bad work culture
Reddit users strongly supported the employee. One commenter said, “This is what happens when your manager has zero idea of the job,” accusing such supervisors of micromanaging to “look important.” Another user commented: “Planned” vacations should be planned by the employee, not the employer.
A third user joked that in similar situations they would mysteriously “get sick the day after my planned vacation.”
Others have suggested that the problem goes beyond the manager. One comment read: “As someone who spent ten years in a corporate company, this sounds more like an organizational issue than a manager issue… You should start planning your exit, bad company and bad boss are unwanted problems.”
The same user recommended a more assertive approach: “Next time, don’t ask for the sheets. Just put them on the portal, inform your manager that you’ve booked tickets, and submit your tasks in advance.”
