An employee took to Reddit to share how his manager responded to his sick leave request. Rather than asking about his well-being or advising him to rest, the boss told the employee to pop in pill and report to the office. When the employee explained that his headache persisted and he wouldn’t be able to make it, he was instructed to come anyhow, even if it meant arriving a few hours late.

“How does one even work with a headache?” asked the Reddit user while sharing the screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation on the platform. 

‘Medicine lekar aajao’

In the chat, the manager wrote, “Medical lekar ajao. Thik ho jaega. Headache hi hai. [Take some medicine. You’ll be fine. It’s just a headache.]”

To this, the employee replied, “Dolo hai. Wo lekar dekhta hun. [I have Dolo (a painkiller). I’ll take it and see.]”

The manager then insisted he report to work despite still feeling unwell.

After taking the medicine, the employee informed his manager that he still had a headache and he couldn’t make it to the office. 

The manager responded: “Medicine lo na hero. Headache me chutti thodi na milti hai [Take the medicine, hero. You don’t get leave just for a headache],” before adding, “Kaise batein kar rahe ho. School me nahi hain. [How are you talking like this? This isn’t school.]”

The employee clarified that he had taken the medicine. The manager continued: “Ab aap company me hain. Thoda rest karle bhale hi, but office ao [Now you work for a company. Take some rest, but come to the office],” the manager went on to say and added that he can join the office late. 

The employee said that he would try. “Try karta hun,” he said. 

‘That is so horrible’: Redditors react to WhatsApp chat

Since being shared, the Reddit post titled “My manager when I ask for a leave” has gained significant traction online. It has received over 3,900 upvotes and still counting. Many even flock to the common section of the post to share their thoughts.

“That is so horrible. You are entitled to sick leave, just apply for one,” read one comment.

Another said, “Next time just drop a mail and shut the phone off.”

A third commented, “So unprofessional and rude, how can you gaslight someone for not being well?”

Some users suggested taking the matter up with HR, while others joked that next time the employee should report more serious health conditions, like diarrhoea or congestion in chest, instead of just a headache.