‘I was stuck justifying why I can’t…’: employee claims manager asked him to work from hospital during wife’s labour

According to the viral post, the employee had informed his manager that his wife had been admitted for delivery, and requested two days' leave.

The post said that he felt trapped in his job due to financial and family pressures (Representative image/Unsplash)

A Reddit post has ignited a discussion around workplace boundaries and employees’ wellness after a man claimed his manager expected him to keep working from the hospital while his wife was in labour.

According to the viral post, the employee had informed his manager that his wife had been admitted for delivery and requested two days’ leave. He said he was urged to postpone his leave or continue working from the hospital. The manager reportedly dismissed his concerns, saying, “You won’t have to do anything anyway.”

Shared on the r/IndianWorkplace subreddit, the post quickly gained traction. “Writing on Reddit, as I don’t know what else to do. My wife was admitted to the hospital for the delivery of our first child. I informed my manager and requested just two days of leave. Instead of basic empathy, I got told to delay my leave, asked if my parents can ‘manage,’ and even told to work from the hospital,” he explained.

He went on to describe how distressing the situation felt. “I felt completely helpless during that chat. At a time when I should be focusing on my wife and my newborn, I was stuck justifying why I can’t sit with my laptop in a hospital room,” the post read.

The poster added that he felt trapped in his job due to financial and family pressures. “The worst part? I can’t quit. I already have a kid and growing responsibilities. And with the way things are in my company, I’m genuinely scared of getting fired if I push back too much,” he wrote.

He concluded by questioning outdated workplace mindsets. “I don’t know why Indian managers still think employees shouldn’t have personal lives – even during something as major as childbirth.”

See the post here:

My company ignored my leave request during my wife’s pregnancy
byu/Distinct_Problem2466 inIndianWorkplace

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The post quickly gained traction, sparking a wave of reactions. “I did just that but there can be repurcussions as i left without approval,” a Reddit user wrote. “We need better labor laws in India. Sometimes I find it super hard to comprehend that how people are so insensitive in India. I mean even if I was a manager, I wouldn’t be like that to my arch nemesis. I don’t understand what makes people act like the way his manager and so many other managers on this sub do. There should be a study. Something is clearly missing here in this godforsaken country and the people,” another user commented.

“Posts like these make me grateful that I dont live and work in India anymore. As for you, you need to start taking up these things in townhalls, or with senior management or HR when they ask you to speak up,” a third user reacted.