Woman says European bosses set bar too high, new Indian manager leaves her drained

A woman shared how her first few managers, who were European and American, set the corporate bar so high that now, even “normal” workplace rules felt impossible to tolerate.

In a post on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace titled, “My initial managers spoilt me, and now I cannot tolerate normal corporate stuff any more,” the woman opened up about how supportive European and American managers shaped her expectations of work culture, only for later experiences with stricter managers to leave her frustrated and anxious.

She explained that her current setup felt almost ideal. With her team spread across different time zones and only a handful of India-based employees, she said she had always worked under managers who trusted her without micromanaging.

According to her, leaves never required formal approval, she would simply inform her managers over calls or messages and carry on.

Recalling one instance, she said she casually mentioned during a call that Bengaluru’s summer heat and LPG-related issues were becoming overwhelming. Her manager responded by encouraging her to head back to her hometown, asking her to “take your time” and simply keep her updated on when she would return.

“That’s it! She just trusted me like a normal functioning adult,” she wrote, adding that this had been her first-ever corporate job, making her genuinely believe this was how workplaces normally functioned.

The woman also shared smaller moments that, in hindsight, felt unusually generous. She said one manager helped get approval for a high-end MacBook despite her team typically not being eligible for that configuration.

During another visit by an extended team member from San Francisco, she was even sent three branded backpacks through her manager, a gesture she jokingly described as “corporate fairy godmother” behaviour.

Work, she said, came with flexibility rather than surveillance. There were no fixed working hours, no constant check-ins, and no one “breathing down” her neck as long as tasks were completed and communication remained smooth.

Things changed, however, when her regular manager went on maternity leave, and she temporarily began reporting to an Indian manager. According to the woman, the shift in work culture was immediate and exhausting.

She wrote that despite the manager himself working remotely, he began insisting she attend office daily, wanted exact timings, formal leave approval emails and expected her to seek permission rather than simply inform about time off.

She added that things improved once she moved under another European manager, whom she described as caring and attentive. But a later stint reporting to an Indian woman manager reportedly brought back what she called “passive-aggressive corporate energy” and unnecessary pressure, making even a month feel mentally draining.

Take a look at the post here:

The post received a whole lot of attention online, with many professionals relating to the experience of having one exceptionally supportive manager set standards that later workplaces struggled to match.

Several users recalled having similarly empathetic bosses who made work feel easier rather than stressful. One commenter described a former manager as “an angel” after years of toxic workplaces, saying even her anger came across as disappointment rather than aggression.

Another user said their first Indian manager had been just as understanding, allowing flexible leaves and offering support during technical problems.

Others suggested the woman should consider reaching out to her former manager with an appreciation email, saying managers who create positive workplace experiences rarely hear how much of a difference they actually make.

The discussion also sparked a wider conversation about management styles, trust in workplaces and how drastically employee experiences can differ depending on who they report to, with many admitting that once you’ve worked under a genuinely supportive boss, settling for rigid corporate culture becomes much harder.