A corporate employee’s request to work from home for a few months due to a family emergency has triggered a discussion on Reddit after their manager refused approval and demanded additional clarification.
In the post shared on r/IndianWorkplace, the employee said that they have been working for a multinational corporation for three and a half years.
While the organisation officially allows 45 paid leaves, 12 public holidays, and a hybrid model of two days in office, the employee’s specific team enforces stricter rules: only 27 total leaves, mandatory three days in office, and at least 100 hours or 12 days physically present each month.
The employee said they had written to their manager citing a personal family situation, which included ongoing police involvement, as the reason for requesting extended work-from-home. Their email assured continued productivity, compliance with company guidelines, and no disruption to deliverables.
However, the manager rejected the request, writing: “This request is not approved for now. Please provide additional/exact information. The reason you mentioned is not acceptable, so please avoid this as a justification going forward.”
The post also accompanied screenshots of the two specific emails.
In the comments section, users weighed in on whether the manager’s response was justified.
One user advised the employee to escalate the matter: “Loop in your HR, add the official police report, be exact about how long you need WFH, share the details he wants, and cite the company’s official policy. Be straightforward.”
Another suggested handling the matter in person rather than through email: “Matters like this are subjective. If you have a genuine problem, talk to them directly. Even if you can’t divulge details, at least explain and give them a timeframe. Say 1–3 months instead of ‘a few months.’”
Not everyone sided with the employee. Some users pointed out that the manager’s hesitation was reasonable: “They can’t just give you a WFH for a vague amount of time, especially if this is a WFO position. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you approve this without knowing why?”
This conversation on Reddit highlights a recurring workplace conflict in hybrid and return-to-office models: balancing personal emergencies with rigid team-level expectations.
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