‘Rain Allowance?' Why Indian Man's 'Weird' Question During Job Interview Was A Fair Ask
A candidate put forth his expectations when an interviewer asked him about what he looked for in the company. He had anticipated a 'rain allowance" that allowed him to use ride-hailing apps, fares of which shoot up during the monsoon season. While asking for the rain pay, the candidate provided the screener with additional options. Either he could log in from home or arrive late at work. The interviewer, taken aback by the unusual ask, looked back at the interaction only to conclude that the job applicant's expectations weren't completely out of the blue or unfounded.
Speaking about their 'weird" interview experience, the interviewer took to Reddit's r/IndianWorkplace and shared what unfolded in their brief meeting for a vacancy.
Rain Allowance
'Met an applicant yesterday and i screened him, when asked about his expectations, he said he needs 'Rain Allowance", and i was confused sic)," wrote the OP.
The user shared that the candidate expected an allowance for showing up during the inconvenient days of rain that invariably led to waterlogged roads and never-ending traffic.
'He explained , he need extra pay for monsoon months, i told him there's no such policy, and why he is asking for that, (sic) the Reddit user wrote before adding, 'He said he uses ola/uber to come to office and their fare go rocket high, when there's rain or water clogged on roads, He even gave me some alt. either he needs work from home on rainy days, or he should be allowed to come late (sic)."
This left the interviewer (Reddit user) flabbergasted. Assuming that the candidate wasn't interested, the interviewer asked him just that. The candidate responded in a positive but asserted that he had spent an additional amount in July due to heavy rain, which surged his monthly cab expenses.
'I thought he isn't interested and asked him 'if he's really interested??", he said 'yes he's interested but that's essential as he calculated his last month's travel expense and it's just double because it was raining heavily in july" and to prove his point he even asked me, if i use uber/ola to come office, i said 'yes", and he said you can try calculating your expense and compare it to normally other months (sic)."
The interviewer mentioned that the candidate was respectful during the entire interaction and sounded genuine.
'Fair Ask"
Those who came across the OP's post voiced that the interviewee's expectation of a rain allowance was a fair ask in today's day and age.
'That's a very fair ask. WFH during rains is a nominal ask if you don't reimburse cab fares," wrote one.
'It is new but fair ask. And ideally if WFH is possible then during bad weather days it should be accepted by company. More WFH means less traffic on road, less jams and more energy in people / employees, (sic)" added a second.
Others added that if the company wasn't dispensing rain allowances then they could retain the candidate by incorporating a hybrid model with a flexible work from home (WFH) policy.
Another expressed that the candidate exhibited good analytical skills and attention to detail, making him an ideal hire.
Rain Menace
Delhi-NCR
The capital city faced relentless downpour during the Rakshabandhan weekend that dampened the spirits of siblings travelling home for the festival. The heavy downpour led to traffic disruptions and heavy congestion in several areas across the city.
Gurugram Deaths
During the chaotic monsoon rains in July, five people reportedly succumbed to death, with three of them dying due to electric shock in separate incidents.
The victims included a graphic designer, a security guard, an auto-rickshaw driver, and two workers.
Death In Dausa
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In a separate yet horrific incident, an elderly man drowned in the waterlogged streets of Dausa, Rajasthan, in July. The incident caused state-wide outrage as it was alleged that the government agencies failed to show up, which was when the locals took matters into their own hands and carried the lifeless body.
When no officials arrived at the scene, an ambulance allegedly showed up, but it stopped at a distance and did not have a stretcher. A resident bore the weight of the body on his shoulder, with parts of it dragging along the ground. A video of this was shot and circulated, which angered the public.
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First Published:
August 13, 2025, 16:12 IST
News explainers 'Rain Allowance?' Why Indian Man's 'Weird' Question During Job Interview Was A Fair Ask
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