A Reddit post by an Indian employee has gone viral after they criticised their company’s strict attendance rule, comparing it to a “school-like mentality.” The post was shared on the subreddit r/IndianWorkplace and has triggered a big discussion on whether such policies are still suitable in today’s flexible work environment.

The post included a screenshot of a team message from the company. It clearly said that employees must report to work by 9:30 am, or else they will lose half a day’s attendance if they don’t inform their manager beforehand.

“If you anticipate being late due to any valid reason, you are expected to inform your respective manager in advance or notify me directly. Please note that arrivals after 9:30 am without prior intimation will be marked as a half-day as per company policy,” the message read.

Reacting to this, the employee expressed their frustration and questioned the need for such rigid rules in a modern workplace.

“Are we in school, or are we adults?” the employee asked.

They pointed out that traffic, emergencies, and other unexpected issues can cause delays and said that punishing employees for being a few minutes late is unfair if they are doing their work well. They also raised concerns about unpaid leave for not marking attendance or unapproved absences.

“Shouldn’t the work you actually do be what matters?” the employee added.

Many Reddit users supported the employee and shared their own experiences. One user commented:

“Report on time. Leave on time.”

Another said:

“My manager is super cool. Come whenever you want. Just keep doing deliverables and maintain 15-20 hours in the the office per week.”

Someone suggested a change in work hours to avoid traffic jams:

“You can suggest your company change the login/logout time by an hour. In Gurugram and Noida, companies have internally managed the shift timings to avoid chaos and traffic jams during peak hours.”

Another user strongly criticised the mindset behind such rules:

“This system feels like it's designed to produce obedient servants, not doers or thinkers… At this rate, India risks remaining just a service-based economy.”

The post has sparked a larger debate on work culture, flexibility, and how companies should measure employee performance.

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