Start owning your leaves

This works only with western managers. India managers will take it to heart and make it an ego issue. The effect will be felt on something else. If the manger is a man, he will let it go if you correct yourself next time. If the manager is a woman, will never see the end of it.

Always treat Indian managers like street dogs. You dont pet them , but you dont throw stones at them either..

In Product based companies, we don't require any approval. I can just wake up and say taking leave on chat, that's it. No questions asked.

If want to take a long vacation, just update it on workday and update your calendar and notify in team channel that you will be away for these days.

Exactly! I've also seen people worrying about the reason (mandatory on our HRMS portal) to give while applying for a leave, as if we're obligated to explain that to the company. I just go with "personal reasons" lol, nobody's complained so far — and nor should they.

Last year, I applied for 5 days of leave and informed my manager that I would be out of the city during that period. He agreed and requested that I send an email, copying his manager and HR. I asked for the HR contact details, but he didn’t respond. Consequently, I proceeded to send the email to him and submitted the leave request on the portal as well. A week before my leave was to start, I followed up with him to approve it, but he informed me that he couldn’t approve it himself as it required HR approval due to the length of the leave. At that time, I had completed my training and was awaiting project assignments while working on some POCs. I still find the process to have been straightforward, so I’m unsure why he was reluctant to approve it.

Exactly. My FAANG experience tells me Managers who ask the reason for leaves are not worth it!

Same. I am a manager/architect in a product company and whenever any one applies leave neither I nor any other fellow manager questions. However if a team member is taking unplanned leave frequently then we'll definitely have one to one and try to understand his reason. Also long leisure leaves should be applied before the start of the sprint.

gave the same advice to a fresher who joined like a month ago yesterday when he told me that he'll "ask" the manager for leave, just apply for the leave and let him know that you'll be out of office for so and so days, no need to even tell the exact reason unless you know them well, just throw "for some personal work"

Are you reading any book or blog?

Ask the Indian manager for wfh and he suggests otherwise and you be adamant on wfh..next thing you see yourself put on PIP

Yes that's absolutely right. I never ask for leave just drop a message that I'll be taking leave with no reason specified. Luckily, got a good manager also who never questions the same.