Indian Engineer In Paris Compares Leave Approval Processes In India And Europe

An Indian engineer in Europe shared an interesting anecdote highlighting the cultural differences in work environments between India and Europe. Akhilesh, an engineer based in Paris, took to social media to contrast how managers in India and Europe handle leave approvals, showcasing a distinct disparity in work culture.

Akhilesh shared that when he began working in Europe, he requested leave approval from his manager. To his surprise, the manager explained that paid leave was part of his contract and didn't need approval. He compared this to his experience in India, where he had to formally request leave and then repeatedly follow up with his manager via email, essentially asking them to approve his request. In contrast to Europe's straightforward approach, India's process seemed more laborious and approval-dependent.

"When I started working in europe, i remember how i requested for leave approval from my manager and he was like 'no, you just inform me with reasonable notice. it's part of our contract, not something i grant' in india, I had to apply for approval, then remind him to grant the approval via emails," he wrote in a post on X.

See the post here:

when i started working in europe, i remember how i requested for leave approval from my manager and he was like 'no, you just inform me with reasonable notice. it's part of our contract, not something i grant'

in india, I had to apply for approval, then remind him to grant the…

— akhilesh (@akhileshutup) May 2, 2025

The post has ignited a lively debate on social media, with many users sharing their own experiences and opinions on the differences between work cultures in India and Europe. One user wrote, "India is a country of slaves where most managers think of themselves as rulers or entitled beings."

Another commented, "This is drilled into our minds from school days, how to write a leave letter requesting to grant leave approval. It just continues in adulthood also. But the flipside is the fact that the whole idea of advance notice/planned leaves don't exist. And sick leaves are taken so random."

A third said, "Once I applied 4 months in advance, had to remind him every month, till the very last day."

A fourth added, "Demand vs supply problem / too many applicants still vying for same job and both current role holder+manager knows this in India. Thats why exploitation and submission to such exploitation. Flip this to developed economies and Indian guys might cry looking at work life balance !"