Indian Engineer Asked His European Manager to Grant Leave – The Response Left Him Speechless
When an Indian engineer working in Europe approached his manager to request leave, he was fully prepared for the usual back-and-forth approval process he had grown accustomed to in India. But what happened next completely caught him off guard — and revealed a striking difference in how workplace hierarchies and employee rights are handled across continents.
Akhilesh, who works in Paris and describes himself as an engineer on social platform X (formerly Twitter), shared his experience online. Expecting a formal approval workflow, he politely asked his European manager to grant him leave. But instead of the expected nod, emails, or formalities, the manager replied, “No, you just inform me with reasonable notice. It’s part of our contract, not something I grant.”
This straightforward answer stunned Akhilesh. In a few words, it overturned years of conditioning shaped by the Indian corporate system, where even entitled paid leaves often come with a sense of hesitation, bureaucracy, and the need for managerial mercy.
“In India, I had to apply for approval, then remind him to grant the approval via emails,” Akhilesh wrote, comparing his past and present work environments.
when i started working in europe, i remember how i requested for leave approval from my manager and he was like 'no, you just inform me with reasonable notice. it's part of our contract, not something i grant'
— akhilesh (@akhileshutup) May 2, 2025
in india, I had to apply for approval, then remind him to grant the…
A Tale of Two Work Cultures
His post triggered widespread debate online, shining a spotlight on the deeper cultural divide between India and Europe when it comes to workplace expectations and employee empowerment.
One user reflected, “This is drilled into our minds from school days, how to write a leave letter requesting to grant leave approval. It just continues in adulthood.”
Another user remarked more harshly, “India is a country of slaves where most managers think of themselves as rulers or entitled beings.”
However, some offered a counter-narrative. “Akhilesh, my experience in India is different with the younger generation. I am handling a team of 40, and no one is taking prior approval. They are simply following HR policy,” one manager shared.
The Bigger Picture
This incident also highlighted differences in labor laws. In France, the legal working week is capped at 35 hours, and anything beyond that qualifies for overtime. India, on the other hand, lacks a uniform statutory workweek. While 45 hours is often cited as a norm, many employees routinely work more — without additional compensation.
What began as a simple leave request turned into a revelation about autonomy, respect, and systems that either trust their employees or seek to control them.
