Techie begs WFH after father's death, gets cold shoulder from boss: 'Told to return to office after last rites'

A grieving IT professional was left stunned when their request to work remotely following their father’s recent passing was flatly turned down by their employer. The employee, who works for a service-based IT company, took to the popular forum Indian Workplace on Reddit to share their distressing experience.

The techie explained that their father had passed away just a week ago. Prior to his death, they had already taken five days of leave and a week of remote work while the father was hospitalized. At the time of posting, the employee was still completing the traditional post-death ceremonies and rites, a vital part of mourning in many Indian cultures.

Employer Dismisses Request for Remote Work

The employee had been working in a hybrid capacity on-site at the client’s location for the past two months. In light of their father’s passing and the fact that their mother was now alone in her hometown, they requested one more month of remote work from the client-side manager.

However, the response they received was curt. The manager asked the employee to “complete the rituals and proceed,” effectively implying that they should return to the office without delay. Despite trying to set up a call to explain the situation further, the manager ignored the request.

Compounding the situation, the employee had earlier informed their payroll company’s manager—a person they described as unreliable—who initially promised to intervene but later backed out, instructing them to directly contact the client manager instead.

Emotional Dilemma: Family vs. Corporate Pressure

Faced with emotional turmoil and logistical strain, the employee was left to wrestle with a difficult decision. Should they return to work in spite of mourning and questions from relatives? The prospect of traveling back and forth on weekends for rituals and then returning to the office midweek felt physically and emotionally exhausting. They even considered sending a firm email declaring that they would be working remotely until a certain date, but feared the consequences of such a move.

Their post raised a pressing question that resonated with many: Is it really expected to return to work within days of a parent's death in today’s corporate India?

Community Comes Together in Support

The Reddit community quickly rallied behind the grieving employee. One moderator offered unconditional support, encouraging the employee to take as many days off as needed, even at the risk of losing the job. They assured help through resume referrals, HR connections, and Discord networking to find new employment if necessary.

Others chimed in with their personal stories. One user shared how after their father passed away, their company not only gave them 7-8 days off without question but even suggested they take more time to recover. Another person revealed how their husband suffered a heart attack and they were forced back into the office just five days later, eventually resigning from their job to become a full-time caregiver. They confessed that in hindsight, it wasn’t worth sacrificing personal well-being for corporate expectations and urged the techie to prioritize their emotional health.

Lack of Legal Protections Exposed

The thread also highlighted a broader issue—the absence of legally binding bereavement leave in India. While Indian culture places immense importance on post-death rituals, especially in the first month, companies are under no legal obligation to provide time off, leaving employees at the mercy of managerial discretion.

In this case, what the techie hoped would be a time to mourn and support their surviving parent has turned into a painful balancing act between family obligations and a corporate system lacking empathy. The Reddit responses served as a reminder that while some companies and managers do show compassion, many others fail to recognize the human side of their employees—a problem that continues to haunt modern workplaces.