Employee shares contrasting leave approval responses from Indian, Japanese bosses; triggers debate

The employee said that while both managers approved his leave, their tone and attitude conveyed very different messages.

The employee said approval by the Indian manager made it feel like a “personal favour” rather than a rightful benefit (Representative image/Unsplash)

A professional recently shared an experience highlighting cultural differences in workplace communication, sparking a discussion on work culture in India. The employee, who works under two reporting managers, one based in Japan and the other in India, posted about the different responses he received to the same leave request.

In a post, “Difference between a Japanese Manager and an Indian Manager,” the user explained that while both managers approved his leave, their tone and attitude conveyed very different messages.

“Good day!! Well noted. Please be careful on your way home. Thank you,” the Japanese manager wrote. “Approved. Please be online on Teams and mail,” said the Indian manager.

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The employee said approval by the Indian manager made it feel like a “personal favour” rather than a rightful benefit.

“I had to go back to my hometown for some urgent work, and I currently have at least 7 CLs left. I have 2 reporting Managers. One is a Japanese person and the other is an Indian. Although both of them approved my leave but they have such contrasting behaviors. The Indian is acting as if he’s doing me a personal favour by approving my leave,” the user wrote on Reddit.

See the post here:

Difference between a Japanese Manager and an Indian Manager
byu/itidao inIndianWorkplace

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The post was also shared on X, drawing a deluge of responses where several users criticised Indian managers for a lack of empathy, triggering a debate.

“Japanese culture and other developed nations don’t see lies and fraud at the level which India sees every day, hence trust issues are embedded in our culture,” a user wrote. “This really needs to change. Lack of empathy in India is appalling,” another user commented.

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“I like East Asians. They’re friendly. An Indian manager will never appreciate you till the day you officially die!” a third user reacted. “Its not always about manager.. There is a element of responsibility also which many new resources are missing so Managers have to make them reminding of their responsibilities,” a fourth user said.