‘Call him sir’: First job moment sparks debate on office power culture, see viral Reddit post

A Reddit post describing a young professional’s uncomfortable first-day experience at work has gone viral, reigniting conversations around hierarchy, authority and workplace culture in Indian offices.

Shared by a media professional on Reddit, the post recounts how a seemingly small correction — being told to address a senior as “sir” — left a lasting impression on their understanding of corporate norms.

According to the user, it was their first day at their first job. While being trained, the team lead asked them to introduce themselves to the boss, identified as Vijay. When the employee casually asked where “Vijay’s cabin” was, the response was immediate and firm: “Call him Vijay sir.”

The correction caught the employee off guard. They wrote that they had assumed modern corporate environments encouraged addressing seniors, including top leadership, by their first names — a practice common in many global workplaces and start-up cultures.

The user clarified that the boss was over 50 years old with more than two decades of work experience, but added that age or tenure should not automatically dictate how respect is shown. “I think this is irrelevant,” they noted.

More than two years later, the employee says the practice remains deeply ingrained. “I see many people addressing seniors and bosses as sir and ma’am,” the post reads, suggesting that the expectation was not an exception but the norm.

The post ends with a question that struck a chord with thousands online: How do you address your seniors and bosses at work?

Check out the post here:

The responses have been divided. Some users defended the use of “sir” and “ma’am” as a sign of respect embedded in Indian culture. Others argued that enforced titles reinforce outdated power hierarchies and discourage open communication, especially for younger employees entering the workforce.

A user shared their experience, “My first day: “Hi sir! I am-” “Call me John. No need to say sir. We don't do that here, hahaha” (John is older than my father. John heads an entire continent.)”

Another user wrote, “Yep, I work with foreign clients all the time, all of them wants me to call them by their name. I don't even have to think before calling them by their name, but once I was assigned a US company whoes boss was in US while team and lower leadership was in India, I called someone by their name and they made ruckus about it. I have other Indian clients who are based in US and are living and working their for 20+ years, they all wants me to call them by their name.”

“I think it’s their culture. As much i have understood from series, movies and few of my foreign friends. I think in them you call “sir” to a person you don’t know, and for familiarity and a little libration in your relationship you use names. Like you call your friends by name. But in Indian culture, anyone elder to you, even if they are 2-3 years elder demand respect and hence should be called “sir”,” the third user wrote.