Is your manager's response to emergencies like this? Indian employee in Netherlands shares viral video on Dutch workplace empathy

Asking for emergency leave is what many professionals dread but it turned into a heartening moment for Indian expatriate Ashwini Thamke, who works in the Netherlands. When Thamke had to book a last-minute ticket to India due to a family medical emergency, she prepared for a stressful conversation with her manager about taking time off.

Instead, she was met with unexpected understanding and support, a response that left her “pleasantly surprised” and has since fuelled conversations about workplace culture differences online.In an Instagram post recently, Thamke recounted how she informed her team and manager that she needed to fly back to Mumbai amidst the crisis and asked if she could work remotely. Rather than guilt, resistance or bureaucratic pushback, her Dutch manager responded with empathy, “You can work from Mumbai if you’re able to.

Feel free to take leave. And please don’t stress — family comes first (sic).” The response, she said, felt “unreal” compared with workplace expectations she had experienced in India, where many employees often hesitate to request leave, even in emergencies.

Workplace empathy vs workplace stress: A cultural snapshot

Thamke’s experience has resonated with many, especially as conversations about work-life balance and employee well-being gain traction globally. In the Netherlands, social norms and employment laws often prioritise flexibility, trust and humane management practices.

Dutch workplaces tend to emphasise result-oriented performance over presenteeism, the expectation that employees should be physically present even when facing personal difficulties.Contrast this with common workplace frustrations shared by employees in India and elsewhere. Viral posts and Reddit threads document stories where workers faced insensitivity or denial when seeking leave for emergencies or health reasons.

Professionals have often shared how their request for work-from-home after their father’s death was met with a lack of empathy from managers, igniting debate about corporate insensitivity or told to “take medicine and come to work” for a headache, a response that many found shockingly unsupportive.These polar responses underscore how organisational cultures and leadership attitudes can shape employees’ sense of security and loyalty, especially during personal crises.

Thamke’s viral Instagram post has helped spotlight what many workers describe as a healthier workplace ethos in some European countries: prioritising employee well-being and acknowledging life outside the office. “This is what true work-life balance looks like in the Netherlands,” she wrote, praising a model of respect, trust and humanity in the workplace.