‘No Sick Leave Allowed!’ Jobseeker Exposes Shocking HR Policy

Upasana Sarbajna went on LinkedIn to describe an unexpected call to pursue a role that had her shocked. While calls focused on work are common, she said this one took a scary turn when the questions shifted to the company’s leave policy.

The recruiter spent nearly 10 minutes at first telling Sarbajna about the company’s vision, work environment and client catalogue, she claims. But things went from one-sided to a surprise when the HR executive explained the leave rules.

She alleged the recruiter described the company’s policy as “flexible leave policy” but allegedly said that they would not “allow” employees to take sick leave and/or personal leave.

According to the post, a salary deduction would apply to any employee who takes leave due to illness or personal reasons. The employees that could take a day off had to incur a major salary deduction for just one day off, per the employee's monthly salary, Sarbajna said.

She found the policy shocking and ended the call after telling the recruiter she needed time to consider the offer, she said.

In her post, Sarbajna wondered how such policies could arise and voiced concern over the well-being of employees and the rights of employees.

Internet Reacts Strongly

A strong post on LinkedIn went viral and made waves with people in different sectors.

The proposed policy was slammed by some users as unfair and antiquated. Some questioned whether the rule was even legal, and some else said sick and casual leaves are simply employees’ rights.

One user quipped, “The leave policy itself is sick.”

Another noted holidays are not special benefits but rather, as a general workplace requirement, not special benefits. Several users were concerned about the salary deduction referred to in the post too.

Others said the episode underscores the plight of many employees in parts of the corporate sector who continue to suffer the same fate.

The viral post has reignited discussions about workplace culture, employee rights, and the necessity of fair leave policies in today’s business world.