Bengaluru: A social media post by entrepreneur Unnati Bagga has gone viral after she alleged that an intern fabricated evidence to justify working from home during a family emergency, triggering widespread debate over workplace trust, employee privacy and leave policies.
Bagga claimed the employee told her she had travelled two days earlier because her mother had been hospitalised and requested permission to work remotely.
Founder alleges ticket was edited
In a post on X, Bagga alleged that the employee submitted a flight ticket as proof of travel. However, she claimed the ticket did not match the timeline provided and was an old booking that had allegedly been edited.
“An employee lied to my face today, fabricated proof to support it and then tried to gaslight when we caught it,” Bagga wrote.
She also shared screenshots of the conversation in which the employee explained her family emergency and said she understood if the company no longer trusted her.
Bagga later stated that the employee was no longer with the company.
Social media divided
The post quickly gained traction, with users expressing mixed opinions. While several people supported the founder’s decision, arguing that falsifying documents was a serious breach of trust, others questioned why the employee had been asked to produce travel proof in the first place.
Many users said employees should not be required to submit personal documents to justify leave requests, especially during family emergencies. Others argued that organisations should focus on building trust rather than demanding evidence for every absence.
Some also questioned the company’s leave policy, suggesting that a supportive workplace culture could reduce situations where employees feel compelled to fabricate excuses.
The incident has reignited discussions about balancing accountability with empathy in the workplace, particularly when employees seek leave for personal or medical emergencies.