“This is real leadership”: Delhi startup’s paid leave for employee caring for sick mother wins hearts

These days, taking time off from work can feel stressful. Many people worry about deadlines, their tasks, or what others will think. But a startup in Delhi is showing that trust and caring for employees can really make a big difference for both the workers and the company.

A month off without any conditions

Divye Agarwal, a Delhi-based founder, shared a story about a team member who needed to take a month off to care for her sick mother. She first offered to manage work in the evenings and stay available for calls while taking care of her mother.

The management responded differently. “We asked her to take a month off, with no evening work or calls, and she would receive her full salary,” Agarwal said. He added, “She looked surprised. Like she was expecting conditions. There weren't any.”

How support translates into better work

Giving the employee a full month off did delay two projects, Agarwal admitted. But when she returned, her work stood out.

“I don't think it was because she felt she owed us. I think it was because she stopped wondering if we meant it when we said we'd support her,” he explained.

A simple policy that works

The team keeps its leave approach simple. “You need time, you take it,” Agarwal said. He added, “We decided we'd rather build a team that doesn't spend energy wondering if we mean what we say.”

Social media praises the leadership

The story caught attention online. One person wrote, “I once worked at a place where my pay was cut because I logged out 30 minutes earlier due to period pain, even though I had finished all my work. It is so heartwarming to see that there are still companies that treat employees as humans.”

Another commented, “You don’t see this kind of leadership often. When support doesn’t come with invisible terms, people stop holding back. Not out of obligation, but because they finally feel safe. That’s how great work happens.”

A third said, “This is what trust looks like in practice, not policy. When people stop worrying about whether support is real, they bring their best work back with them. So well said.”

A fourth added, “There’s also a second-order effect here that often goes unnoticed: psychological safety frees cognitive bandwidth. When people stop bracing for consequences, they do better work, not out of obligation, but out of clarity and commitment.”

Disclaimer: The story is based on social media posts and comments shared online. The Times of India is reporting these for informational purposes and does not independently verify the experiences or statements mentioned.