Bengaluru employee shares ‘MRI’ report to justify WFH request, firm still says no
Despite sharing her mother’s ‘MRI’ report to justify a work-from-home request, a Bengaluru IT employee’s plea was rejected by her company, which cited ‘limited bandwidth’ as the reason for refusal.
Balancing professional commitments with family responsibilities can be difficult, especially in times of crisis. Recently, a Reddit user shared how his family struggled after his mother-in-law met with an accident, only to face further challenges when her daughter’s request to work from home (WFH) was turned down.
What happened to the family?
According to Redditor @fayazara, his mother-in-law and her brother were involved in a scooter accident last week. She suffered a fractured arm, while her brother’s face and hand were badly swollen and bruised.
"Indian work culture is actually insane," the post’s caption reads.
Why was the WFH request denied?
The post explained that the mother-in-law’s younger daughter, who works in an IT firm in Bengaluru, requested to work from home for a month so she could help her mother, who was unable to move or manage daily chores.
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The company asked for proof, so she submitted MRI scans and a police report. Despite this, the firm called for a meeting only to reject her request, citing “limited bandwidth” within the team.
“Her job doesn’t even need her to be in the office,” the Redditor added, expressing frustration at the lack of understanding.
Meanwhile, the injured uncle was reportedly given only two days of leave and still depends on his younger brother for daily commute.
"I always heard about how big corporates lack empathy (Mr robot), but watching it happen honestly hits different. It’s disgusting," the post continued.
How did Reddit react?
The post drew strong reactions from users who criticised the company’s response. Many described the decision as “shocking” and “lacking empathy,” especially since all required documents had been provided.
One user commented, “We as society lack empathy. I feel for you and your family.”
Another added, “Sickening. I feel that as a society, we will have to make a U-turn back to building and running family businesses.”
A third user advised, “Ask your wife's sister to take all her paid leaves over the mail. Ask her to start preparing for another company during that time.”
Several users shared similar experiences, saying rigid workplace policies often make it hard to handle personal emergencies while meeting professional expectations.
The discussion once again highlighted the growing debate over empathy and flexibility in Indian corporate culture — especially when employees face genuine family crises.