‘Take tomorrow off’ — Chat with Bengaluru boss after vacation goes viral; netizens envy chill workplace

Indian workplaces are infamous for their anti-employee policies, and social media is frequently dominated by stories of toxic management and burnout. However, a viral Reddit post shared a refreshing new perspective on the power of empathetic leadership at a Bengaluru firm.

After a 10-day break, the employee messaged the “big boss”, who is the founder of his company, to announce their return, expecting an immediate mountain of tasks. Instead, the boss insisted they take an extra day off just to decompress and transition back smoothly.

The unexpectedly kind gesture has taken the internet by storm, sparking widespread envy among workers accustomed to relentless hustle culture.

What did the boss say?

The viral thread is by the Head of Operations at Business Strategy Firm, according to their Reddit profile.

The Redditor said they went on a 10-day vacation and informed their boss they'd be back tomorrow. However, to their surprise, their “big boss” asked them to take one more day to settle in and not rush into work.

“I was on a 10-day vacation and informed the founder that I would be returning to work the next day. Instead of confirming my return, he told me to take an additional day off to relax and ease back in before starting again,” the post read.

According to the chat screenshot, the employee told his boss, “I’m back in Bangalore now and will be resuming work from tomorrow.”

To this, the boss replied: “Sounds good, take tomorrow off as well and get yourself settled. You can pick things up from Wednesday.”

Touched by the kind gesture, the Redditor said, “As someone who moved from a strict corporate background, this made me feel great and valued!”

How did netizens react?

Social media users were green with envy and wished their boss were also a “green flag” like the Redditor's.

“God's favourite child?? Is that you??” asked a jealous user.

Another said, “Seriously, you're lucky, bro. If I ask my manager for even one day off, he acts like I'm asking for his property.”

“Your boss is super chill. All and sundry deserve this and to some extent this should be normalised,” a user suggested.

Several netizens also shared that they were so “traumatised” at their workplaces that this kind message also seems like a sarcastic one to them.

“I've faced so much toxicity that the message from your boss seems sarcastic to me. I need help,” a netizen said.

“I saw the 'pick things up from tomorrow', and the first thought was he is firing the guy,” said another.

“Is your boss hiring? Lmao id love to work with people like him,” a netizen asked. While another said, “I would be traumatised by this response. I think I have PTSD.”

Many users also claimed the post was a dream, not reality. Some even deemed it an AI-generated post, while others claimed the boss, too, was on Reddit and the post was made to remain in good standing.

While thousands of envious professionals continue to debate the post, one thing is clear: a little empathy from the boss goes a long way toward building loyalty.