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Journalism of Courage
An Indian engineer working in Europe recently shared an experience that highlighted the sharp cultural differences between Indian and European workplaces, particularly when it comes to taking time off and applying for leave.
“No, you just inform me with reasonable notice. It’s part of our contract, not something I grant,” his manager said, explaining that paid leave is a contractual right, not a privilege requiring permission.
In the now-viral X post, Akhilesh contrasted this with his experience working in India, where the process was far more hierarchical and drawn out. “In India, I had to apply for approval, then remind him to grant the approval via emails,” he wrote, pointing out how employees often had to follow up repeatedly, almost pleading for their time off to be approved.
See the post here:
His post resonated with numerous social media users, sparking conversations about the broader cultural differences in how employee rights are perceived across workplaces globally. “Once I applied 4 months in advance, had to remind him every month, till the very last day,” a user wrote. “Keep aside leaves. Many times you have to come back after leaving the office for the day,” another user commented.
“I went to US and after first month my boss was like why do you come to office everyday and specially on Friday. Unless you like to drive,” a third user reacted. “India is a country of slaves where most managers think of themselves as a rulers or entitled beings,” a fourth user wrote.
