Long working hours, constant pressure, and the expectation to be “always available” have defined the reality of many Indian workplaces. Employees often push through illness, personal emergencies, and family obligations to meet deadlines and management demands. A viral post on Reddit has reopened the discussion on empathy and boundaries in Indian offices. The post, shared by an employee whose manager asked him to attend an induction meeting and remain “available on WhatsApp” on the day he lost his grandfather, has struck a chord with thousands of professionals. For many, the message felt familiar rather than shocking, and it highlighted how frequently personal hardship is overshadowed by workplace expectations.

The Reddit user wrote that he informed his manager late at night that he woul

See Full Page