Bengaluru employee says manager denied Dussehra leave days after placing him on PIP, internet says ‘New layoff strategy’

A Bengaluru-based fresher has claimed on Reddit that his manager placed him on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and denied two days of leave for a planned Dussehra trip home. 

A Bengaluru-based employee has sparked a discussion on Reddit after claiming that his manager placed him on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) days before a planned Dussehra trip to his hometown and subsequently denied his leave request.

The employee said he works at a retail-focused company in Bengaluru and joined the organisation around four months ago. In the comments section, he clarified that he is a fresher.

According to his Reddit post, he had booked tickets to travel home for Dussehra and spend time with his family. However, his plans were disrupted after a performance review meeting in which his manager reportedly raised concerns about his output and placed him on a PIP.

‘Today my manager put me under PIP’

The employee said his manager informed him that his performance was not meeting expectations during the review.

"Today we had my performance review and he put me under PIP saying I'm not giving the expected output or performance," the employee wrote.

He said he subsequently requested two days of leave to celebrate the festival with his family, but his manager rejected the request because he was on a PIP.

"Later I asked him regarding my holidays for 2 days to spend time with my family for occasion. But he rejected it saying I'm under PIP and can't give any holidays," the post read.

The employee also claimed that he had not received written communication confirming the PIP and alleged that his leave requests had been rejected previously.

"But they didn't give any written confirmation on my PIP. What should I do now? I'm really confused and stressed," he wrote.

Employee says Dussehra trip was planned in advance

The employee said he had booked travel tickets the previous week for about ₹5,000 and was looking forward to visiting his hometown after a long gap.

"I really want to go home and spend time with my family as it's been long time since I went home and my parents are excited and waiting on my arrival," he added.

The post prompted discussion among Reddit users about workplace pressure, performance reviews and the implications of being placed on a PIP shortly before a planned holiday.

Reddit users debate whether PIP signals a possible exit

Several users commented that this is the new layoff strategy.

"Its just my opinion in your place I would have gone home. Looks like they are aiming to get u removed," one user wrote.

Another commenter described PIPs as "the new layoff strategy," adding: "Go home, enjoy the festival and start looking for another job."

Other users advised the employee to consider alternative job opportunities while assessing whether he could meet the expectations set out in the performance review process.

One commenter argued that PIPs can involve demanding targets and may not always result in an employee being retained.

"It is the norm to put people on PIP, dump unreasonable expectations, tell them they'll be retained if they perform well and eventually let them go," the commenter wrote.

Another Reddit user advised the employee to focus on future opportunities if he believed he would struggle to clear the PIP.

"PIP in very rare scenario turns positive. If you somewhere believe you will not be able to pass it, start job hunting after your holidays," the comment read.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.