Every now and then, we read about the toxic work culture and the mental trauma employees have to suffer in the corporate industry. From calling to work from office, despite the work from home mandate, to not granting leaves during the festive season, we have read a lot. Now, another story surfaces online where a regular work message turned into viral content on social media. An employee sent a simple text to his CEO saying he’d work from home. What came back was anything but simple.
The CEO said, “Hello, your professional behavior is not proper.”
The confused employee asked what went wrong. The unexpected response: “I did not allow you to work from home. Why don’t you ask but notify? A very, very special warning to you.”
The employee explained his side. He’d twisted his leg and couldn’t walk properly. He thought telling his boss was enough. “My bad, I twisted my leg yesterday and had trouble walking. I would have mentioned it, but I didn’t because I assumed it was okay just to inform and not ask for permission,” he said.
The CEO didn’t budge. He brought up old issues, saying this wasn’t the first time. “Permission, not notification,” he said, then added, “The same you did when you notified me about your holidays.” His final words? “It is not our culture. Very bad.”
What’s Really Going On Here?
This isn’t just about one text message. The employee shared more details on Reddit that paint a clear picture.
He works at a multinational startup with no proper WFH policy. There’s no leave policy either. The HR person quit. The manager who used to approve these things also left. Now everything goes straight to the CEO.
This was only his second WFH in seven months, and it had a genuine medical reason. But apparently, the way he asked — or didn’t ask — was the problem.
Oh, and he made sure to mention: “CEO is not Indian.” This matters because lots of similar viral posts get comments like “Indian bosses” for strict behavior. Turns out, this attitude exists everywhere.
What Do Reddit Users Say?
The post blew up. Individuals had views, remarks, and their horror tales to tell. A single individual provided some viable tips: “Always combine a request with notification next time: say, I have hurt my leg and I cannot travel tomorrow. Could I work from home? It makes them feel involved.”
Another one made a joke: “When you change your job next time, insist that you be given a leave of resigning, just to play around.”
The most popular comment repeated the CEO’s own words:
“Why did you not seek permission before publishing this on Reddit? A very special warning to you! It is not our culture. Very bad.”
Others weren’t laughing. One of the users declared directly: “Find a better place. This appears to be rather bossy, where someone’s ego has been hurt.”
Why Does This Matter?
Post-pandemic, companies are still grappling with how to handle flexibility. Remote work became the norm for many, but bosses want control back.
Some managers believe it’s polite to request permission — they perceive “I am working from home” as an employee making decisions beyond their pay grade. To them, it’s about hierarchy.
Employees, however, see it differently. Why beg for approval when you’re genuinely unwell? If someone has a twisted leg, informing the boss should be enough. It’s about trust and treating people as adults.
A lack of a clear policy means everyone fills in the blanks themselves. And that’s exactly how such workplace blow-ups happen.
Disclaimer: This article is based on user-generated content sourced from Reddit. Entertales.com has not independently verified the statements or claims mentioned in the post and does not guarantee their accuracy. The opinions expressed are solely those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of Entertales. Reader discretion is advised.
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