Woman quits job after manager asks her to send ‘critically ill’ mother to shelter home. Viral post

Workplace empathy has once again come under scrutiny after a viral Reddit post revealed a disturbing response to an employee facing a family health emergency. The post, shared widely online claims that a woman resigned from her job at a private bank after her manager allegedly denied her leave and suggested that she place her ‘critically ill’ mother in a shelter home so she could return to work.

The incident was shared by a Reddit user named Mr_Moulick on the r/IndianWorkplace subreddit. The user explained that a colleague working at a private bank had asked for leave after her mother’s health took a serious turn.

The Reddit user wrote, “A senior woman colleague at a large private bank asked for a few days of leave. Her mother was critically ill because of wrong medication. She wasn’t asking for anything special. Just some time.”

However, instead of understanding or support, the manager allegedly responded with a remark that shocked many readers. The post claimed that the manager told the employee, “If she’s not recovering, put her in a medical or shelter home and come to office.”

The woman, who had reportedly worked at the bank for several years, was left feeling helpless. She had asked only for a short break to stay with her mother during a critical time. Instead, she was forced into a situation where she had to choose between her job and her family.

The Reddit post further stated, “The manager’s response was: “If she’s not recovering, put her in a medical or shelter home and come to office. That was it. She was left with two choices – Work as usual or stay with her mother. She stayed with her mother. Soon after that, she had to resign. She had worked there for years.”

The woman chose to remain with her mother, prioritising her family during the medical emergency. Soon after, she resigned from her position, bringing an end to her long-term employment at the bank.

The Reddit user explained why they decided to share the incident publicly, writing, “I’m posting this here because I honestly don’t know what the ‘right’ response is anymore in such workplaces. What would you have done?”

Manager told: Put your mother in a medical or shelter home and come to office.
byu/Mr_Moulick inIndianWorkplace

The post was widely shared and got more than 700 upvotes and, sparking a  discussion about workplace ethics, leave policies, and how managers should respond during personal emergencies. Many users expressed anger, sympathy, and frustration over the way the situation was handled.

One user advised a more strategic approach, stating in the comment section, “Ask the manager to give this suggestion in written, and watch his tone change and ego crumble.”

Another user focused on the emotional impact of the situation and wrote, “Damn, I empathise with her and the feelings that she had to go through. There should be some legal way to get back at this crude kind of exploitation.”

Several users also discussed whether the woman had other options besides resigning. One comment suggested that she could have approached the HR. The comment read, “If she is carrying valid medical documents she can reach out to HR and take a long leave for a month or two instead of resigning. As a permanent employee she can seek HR help on this. Ideally manager can even guide this instead of asking her unless their company policies are different. If policies are odd better to resign and take care of her mom instead of surviving there mother comes first than job.”

Apart from the above comments, netizens also discussed concerns about workplace culture, especially in high-pressure corporate environments. Many people pointed out that while organisations often speak about employee wellbeing, real-life situations like this reveal a gap between policy and practice.

Disclaimer: The above incident has been reported based on an unverified Reddit post. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the claims.