We’ve all dealt with annoying managers, but some stories hit a different level of absurdity. Imagine planning your vacation weeks in advance, getting approval, booking flights, and then suddenly being interrogated like you’re crossing international borders. That’s exactly what one Indian IT employee faced when his team leader demanded full flight booking details for an already-approved leave. What happened next didn’t just spark outrage — it exposed a deeper problem in India’s corporate culture.
The incident has sparked a massive debate about workplace boundaries, trust issues, and a toxic micromanagement culture that is slowly suffocating employees across corporate India. What started as a simple leave request turned into a viral sensation that thousands of frustrated employees could relate to.
The Employee’s Frustrating Experience
An employee recently took to a Reddit community to share his worst encounter with his team leader. The post quickly gained traction as it touched a nerve with countless workers facing similar situations. The employee started by identifying his workplace, stating
“Working in one of the WITCH/LALA/CHWUTIA companies.”
The trouble began despite proper planning. The employee explained his situation:
“I had an approved holiday plan a month ago. I reminded my TL earlier this week. He kept delaying giving me approval, even though he verbally agreed. Then, suddenly, last minute, he tried to force a half-day shift on the day of my flight. Fine, whatever.”
This shows how, even with advance notice and approval, employees face unnecessary hurdles at the last moment. But what happened next crossed all professional boundaries.
The Unreasonable Demand
TL demanded my flight booking as “proof” for leave. I blocked him.
byu/ImpromptuHotelier inIndianWorkplace
When the employee’s flight timing changed, a simple notification turned into an interrogation. He shared:
“Today, I tell him my flight got moved earlier than expected, and I won’t be coming in. He immediately replies, Share the flight booking details. Not a screenshot of the timing. Not a written confirmation. He literally wanted the full booking details. As if he were an immigration officer. As if I owe him my itinerary. As if my personal travel is something a TL in a call centre is entitled to audit.”
This demand raised serious questions about privacy and professional boundaries. Why would a team leader need complete booking details when the leave was already approved?
The Bold Response
Fed up with constant harassment, the employee took a strong stand. He recounted:
“I said nothing. I blocked him on SMS. I blocked him on calls. I blocked him on WhatsApp. He tried calling multiple times and even messaged me there. Deleted the chat without opening. The phone was on silent. Slept peacefully.”
This decisive action resonated with thousands of employees who wish they could do the same but feel trapped by job insecurity.
A Pattern Of Toxic Behavior
This wasn’t an isolated incident. The employee revealed a concerning pattern of controlling behaviour from the same team lead. He exposed:
“This is the same TL who denied my work from home earlier for a reason he admitted was personal annoyance. The same TL that changed things last minute because management messed up the calendar. The same TL who expects us to run to our seats like nuclear launch operators.”
These revelations painted a picture of systematic harassment where personal grudges overshadowed professional conduct.
The Boarding Pass Demand
The situation escalated further when the team leader wanted even more proof. The employee expressed his frustration sarcastically:
“And now he wants my boarding pass. What’s next? Proof of diarrhoea during sick leave? A selfie of me vomiting? Mandatory s*x video for paternity leaves.”
While the sarcasm is dark, it highlights how ridiculous these demands have become.
Taking A Stand On Workplace Boundaries
The employee made his position crystal clear about where professional authority ends and personal life begins. He firmly stated,
“I am not this guy’s property or subordinate outside the office. My personal travel plans are not for you to verify. If you don’t trust your employees enough to take a leave without demanding proof, that is a management failure, not an employee issue.”
His final words ensured he wasn’t backing down:
“Exit count: three months, TL block list: permanent.”
The Evidence That Made It Real
To back up his claim, the employee didn’t just share his story; he provided proof. He attached a screenshot showing the exact WhatsApp conversation where the team leader demanded complete flight booking details. Another screenshot confirmed that he had indeed blocked the TL across all platforms. These visuals transformed the post from another complaint into documented evidence of workplace overreach.
Netizens Reacted To This
The post exploded across social media, with thousands joining the conversation. The comments section was full of frustrated employees from across India sharing their own horror stories.
Many applauded the person for standing up to unreasonable demands. Countless users shared similar experiences with micromanaging supervisors.
Some even joked about the surveillance culture, suggesting that companies might soon require live location, daily tracking, or DNA samples just to approve leave.
When companies fail to trust employees over something as simple as planned leave, they send a very clear message: “We don’t believe you.”
This erosion of trust creates a toxic environment where fear replaces motivation.
And this viral incident has started the right conversation. Companies can no longer ignore how their middle management treats employees. The outdated mindset of treating workers as property must end.
Trust is a two-way street. And demanding flight booking details for approved leave isn’t management — it’s surveillance. As he counts down his final three months at the company, his story stands as a warning to employers and an inspiration to employees everywhere who are tired of being treated with anything less than basic respect.
One viral post won’t fix corporate India. But it does something powerful — it exposes the cracks. It forces companies to confront the toxic micromanagement and trust deficit that employees silently endure every day. If organisations truly want loyalty and productivity, they must first treat employees like human beings, not suspects. Because trust isn’t built through surveillance — it’s built through respect.
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