Employee Shares Leave Request Replies From Indian & Japanese Bosses; Viral Post Sparks Online Debate

A viral Reddit post has sparked a lively conversation about workplace culture after one employee compared how their Japanese and Indian managers handled a simple leave request. The post, titled “Difference

between a Japanese Manager and an Indian Manager,” featured two contrasting screenshots that perfectly illustrated the gap in attitudes.The Japanese manager’s message read warmly, “Good day! Well noted. Please be careful on your way home,” while the Indian manager’s response was a blunt, “Approved. Please be online on Teams and mail.”According to the Reddit user, they had applied for leave to visit their hometown for some urgent work — with seven casual leaves still remaining. Both managers granted the request, but their approaches couldn’t have been more different. “The Indian is acting as if he’s doing me a personal favour by approving my leave,” the user wrote, expressing frustration.

The post quickly resonated with others online, many chiming in with their own experiences of cross-cultural work dynamics. One person commented, “Oh yes! I have worked with Japanese clients in the past, they are so much like this! There’s a stark difference when working with Indian clients.” Another added, “As an Indian who now works in France, the contrast is clear: here, life comes before work, whereas back home, work almost always comes before life.”The thread soon evolved into a broader discussion about empathy and management styles, with users pointing out how even a small gesture — like a kind note in response to a leave request — can make employees feel seen, respected, and valued.