Overview
- On August 1, an unpaid intern’s request for one-day emergency leave to care for sick parents was denied and shamed in a WhatsApp message from her manager.
- A screenshot of the exchange was shared on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace on August 2, going viral and drawing widespread critique of the boss’s conduct.
- The manager rebuked the intern for showing a “lack of seriousness” shortly before a major event, despite assigning her critical tasks without pay.
- Social media users condemned the incident as evidence of exploitative unpaid internships and called for built-in contingency measures for emergencies.
- The employer has yet to issue a public response or revise its leave practices, intensifying demands for regulatory safeguards for interns.