A Reddit post detailing an Indian employee’s sharp comeback to a manager who denied him a lunch break has gone viral, sparking conversations around toxic work culture, managerial ego, and employee rights.
The post, titled “Stopped from having lunch break”, claims the incident happened to a friend of the user who works at a mid-sized company. According to the post, the employee was headed for his regular lunch break when his manager insisted he finish his tasks first.
Hungry and frustrated, the employee is said to have responded bluntly: “Khane ke liye hi toh kama raha hoon, aur yahan aap mujhe khana khane se hi rok rahe ho” (I work to be able to eat, and here you are stopping me from doing even that).
He then proceeded to take his lunch break as scheduled.
The post further mentions that after the incident, the manager began ignoring the employee – a reaction many on Reddit have called petty and indicative of deeper issues within workplace hierarchies.
Internet reacts
The viral post has struck a chord with many online, with users sharing similar experiences and calling out power dynamics in Indian offices. Some praised the employee for standing up for himself, while others highlighted the importance of basic breaks in any work environment.
A user wrote, “I know he might believe he was wrong but he is actually gonna save lot of people with this simple act. Now onwards that manager would think thrice before saying same thing to any person.”
Another user wrote, “If the manager is human enough then he’ll reflect on his actions and just apologise. Otherwise if he’s scum then he will create problems for him.”
“Calling someone in middle of lunch, and then asking, to complete work is cruel man,” the third user wrote.
“Your friend is a brave man. Few years ago, I was in a similar situation. I still regret not being able to stand up for myself and letting my manager treat me like shit,” the fourth user commented.
“Your friend said nothing wrong,” the fifth user wrote on Reddit.