“I’m not a workaholic. I work so I can enjoy life, so I go on trips.”
A viral video has Indian netizens divided over changing attitudes toward leave and last-minute changes.
While at the airport, a young employee named Simran filmed a ranting video talking about how her leave was cancelled at the last minute. And when she said last minute, she meant “last minute.”
Though she claimed that she is not someone for whom work is the top priority or is her life, Simran admitted that maybe she would have tried to make some effort to be online. If only the leave cancellation had not been communicated when she was already at the airport, about to leave for Vietnam.
So, What Happened?
In her video, Simran shared that she had applied for her leave on January 22, 2026, and that the leave was scheduled to start on February 19, 2026. She claimed she had said she would be going “somewhere,” but hadn’t yet stated the destination as Vietnam.
At that time, according to Simran, her manager did not raise any issue then, stating that “We will talk about it.” However, on February 19, 2026, when Simran was already at the airport, she received a message from the group that left her floundering.
“Hi Simran, I wanted to inform you that we have to cancel your leave due to project urgency.”
This, according to Simran, is what her manager messaged. She could not help but point out that, at the time of the message, she was standing in the airport with her friends and luggage.
Angry and frustrated as Simran was, she claimed that had she received this message even earlier in the morning, she might have brought along her work laptop. Whether she would have worked or not, she admitted, was on her, but she claimed that she understood that sometimes project deployment needs do become unavoidable.
A Frustration Born of Priorities
Simran’s video resonated with many of the younger employees on the internet for her candour. Rather than presenting herself as someone completely dedicated to her work, she admitted that she is not a workaholic but is rather someone who earns to live and enjoy her freedom.
Her honest confession regarding her priorities highlights just how the younger generation of workers views their work and personal life. Many younger employees are now shifting away from the idea that work should always take priority.
The heavy emphasis on work-life balance and the prioritisation of mental health and personal freedoms have made Simran a spokesperson and a reflection of what many young employees believe in their hearts.
Simran also frankly claimed that while she did care whether or not her family, her parents, would want her to go on vacation or not, she did not want her manager’s input on the same.
Work From Anywhere? No Thank You
Towards the end of her video rant, Simran admitted that she did not want to be one of those people who carry around their work laptops on vacations, claiming that she knew how much “trauma” they had.
The workplace flexibility option of working remotely has led many people to a similar thought process. Because people can work from anywhere, many companies ask their employees to continue working even during vacation or, at least, be “available” in case of any needs.
This inability to completely disconnect from work has, for many, made remote connectivity a bane rather than a boon.
So, when Simran said she would not open her “Teams” app until she returned from her vacation, no matter the escalations that might happen, the attitude did earn cheers from some.
However, some internet dwellers did warn Simran that perhaps completely disconnecting during such a tense situation might not be the best idea. They claimed that had it been a normal vacation, complete disconnection might not have caused an issue.
The internet, though divided on how Simran should handle the issue, largely agreed that the expectation to be somewhat online simply because one is reachable has increased work-related stress for everyone.
Choosing Because of Choices
“You wanna fire me? Fire me. I’ll find a new job.”
In today’s world, a key reason why employees, especially younger ones, are not afraid to voice their demands and feelings is that they do not feel that getting fired might leave them with no options.
Even just a couple of decades ago, hunting for a job worthy of Hercules. In today’s booming India, though, jobs have become much easier to find. It’s not just companies that have their pick of employees, as workers are also becoming selective over their employers.
Thanks to online job portals, social media platforms like LinkedIn, and increased communication from recruiters, employees don’t feel they will run out of options if they are fired for their demands, or if they choose to leave on their own volition.
So, when Simran said, she did not care what happened to her project or her job; she said it as a part of a generation for whom job hunting has indeed become much easier.
That said, in this case, things might not be that easy. As many online have pointed out, Simran might not have expected her video to go viral as it did. Which means that her sentiments, born out of frustration, might serve as roadblocks for future job opportunities.
The Crux of the Virality
Here is why Simran’s video ultimately broke the internet. Her frustrations reflected the inner thoughts of employees across generations, even if most would refrain from saying them out loud.
It was, after all, not just one issue that Simran frankly talked about. A last-minute leave cancellation, denouncing a manager affecting personal life, refusing to stay online on vacation, and not making work one’s life, all of this came together for Simran and then resonated with everyone.
Though the internet remains divided over some of Simran’s word choices, some even concerned over her future job prospects, many have felt seen and heard through this video. Many have felt such a callout to be justified, adding to the rising dissatisfaction across India with the work-first culture.
