“Send pictures and GPS location”: Woman’s post about boss’s demand during emergency shocks Internet

Most people expect understanding from their workplace when a loved one is in the hospital. But for one woman, a personal emergency led to a difficult and troubling experience at work. Her recent post on X (formerly Twitter) has triggered a wave of discussion online, not just for the shocking demands made by her manager, but also for what it reveals about workplace culture and boundaries.
Her story, shared widely across social media, details how her manager allegedly reacted when she couldn’t attend a work event due to a family member’s cancer surgery. What followed were demands for real-time location sharing, photos from the hospital, and a 30-minute outburst– all of which ended with her walking away from the job.
Leave request ignored, demands followed

The woman had informed her team lead in advance that she wouldn’t be available for a seminar at work due to a family emergency. However, her manager reportedly pushed her to attend despite the situation.

“There was a seminar at work yesterday, I had already told my team lead I wouldn't be able to attend. But the manager told me to come yesterday. I told him that a family member had a cancer surgery, and this happened,” she wrote in a post.
Instead of offering support, her manager allegedly demanded that she immediately attend the meeting, and when she didn’t, he reportedly asked for GPS proof of her location and even photos of her relative recovering in the hospital.

Verbal pressure and push for an apology
The issue didn’t stop at digital messages. According to a report presented by the Hindustan Times, in a follow-up post, the employee shared that her manager shouted at her for nearly half an hour over the situation and went on to make further unreasonable demands.
“He also yelled at me for 20-30 minutes, and then told me to go home and send him an apology email along with hospital prescription pictures. I sent him a resignation email instead,” she wrote, as quoted by the HT report. Her choice to quit instead of giving in resonated with many on social media, who said the manager's behaviour was wrong and controlling.
Social media backs the employee, calls for accountability
The post got strong reactions online, with many people criticizing the manager and encouraging the woman to take the issue further.
“Don’t you have casual holidays? After sharing the details, please do address how he needs to speak to you or any other employees. This is not the way,” one person commented.

Responding to that, the woman said, “I did address that and told him that this is disrespectful, but he yelled at me for 20-30 minutes and told me that I am in no position to tell him how to do his job.”
Another user wrote, “What is this way of talking? Report him to top management if possible.” One more added, “Prime example of a toxic manager!”
Others share their own stories of toxic workplaces
The employee’s experience has led others to open up about their own difficult workplace situations, including delayed salaries and a lack of support during personal crises.
One person shared, “My previous company paid half my salary for 8 months. When I decided to quit, I sent an email for the settlement. They came and collected the laptop and stuff and told us we would inform them later about the salary and documents. After following up for months, they simply sent mail saying they can’t pay.”