'Tried to check if I had menstrual...': Redditors share stories of nosy Indian managers over sick leaves

In a move to combat rising absenteeism, Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer led by Elon Musk, reportedly implemented strict measures that include sending company representatives to the homes of employees in Germany who have called in sick. Sources indicate that as many as 30 employees have been visited in this aggressive response to sick leave.

The company's actions have ignited a wave of discussion on social media platforms, with many users recounting their own negative experiences with employers' reactions to absenteeism.

On Reddit, one user, under the handle "pranagrapher," sparked a conversation in the "Indiasocial" community, asking fellow Indians to share stories about their managers’ responses when they took sick days. The post has received over 5.7 thousand votes and many comments.

The replies poured in, revealing a mix of both heartbreaking and humorous encounters with workplace policies regarding health-related absences.

Here are some reactions:

One user commented, "I had one mentor once who tried to check if I had menstrual pain." Responding to this, the user of the original post commented and shared their story, saying, "This reminds me about my colleague who was asked by the same manager if she could postpone taking her menstrual leave on another day if it isn't too painful as they had a lot of work pending and couldn't afford approving her the leave."

Another Redditor wrote, "My manager once accused me of faking the reading on my thermometer (102° fever). I was going to leave soon anyways."

A third user commented, "Once I was down with dengue and was hospitalised for a week and then 10 days of bed rest! I even used the company insurance! My manager, when I returned to work, said show me your medical documents, I might be able to suggest better medications."

"My manager told me to take sick leave because they'll lapse next year," said another Redittor.