A post by an IIT graduate working in the US has gone viral on workplace-anonymous forum Blind, after he shared an unusual problem: his mother calling his manager to “check in” on him and even set “life KPIs”. In the post titled “My mum called my manager,” the user described how a “tiny, harmless issue” at work spiralled after his mother escalated it by directly contacting his manager.
“i’m an iit grad in the us and somehow still not free. had a tiny, harmless issue at work and my mom escalated it by calling my manager. now she calls him regularly to ‘check in’ on me like it’s a standup,” the anonymous user shared.
He further said that his mother also asked his manager to set “life KPIs” for him. “She’s asking him to set kpis for me. not work kpis. life kpis. go to the dentist. say thank you. be more grateful in meetings. she’s basically outsourcing indian parenting to corporate america,” he wrote.
“I just wanted to be a low-visibility NPC and collect a paycheck. Instead I’m in a cursed crossover episode and my manager is slowly realising this is above his pay grade,” the user concluded.
Social media reactions
The post struck a chord, drawing a flood of reactions from users who found it hilarious and relatable. “This made my day,” one user commented, recalling how their mother-in-law once wanted to call a manager to secure extra leave for a wedding.
Others shared far more serious experiences. “Father calls office and manager came to know that I have cut-off my father. My father is in India and I am not on speaking terms with him due to my sexual orientation. He calls office number to talk to me. My Indian manager was informed about this due to these calls. My father calls manager and complains about me. I dont want my father's health to get affected. I have an Indian manager here,” shared one user.
“I am a heritage American but traveled to India my sophomore year as a foreign exchange student (14 years ago). My Indian foreign exchange parents constantly call my manager (also Indian) and plead with him to promote me. They got me fired from Amazon after my manager there (not Indian) insisted they stop calling. My exchange auntie still tries to arrange my marriage (I’m already married),” commented a third user.
Some users also questioned the logistics. “How the hell does your mother have your manager’s contact info?” one comment asked, echoing a sentiment shared widely in the thread.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)