Manager Cancels Employee’s Holiday In The Middle Of Their Mexico Trip

Spread the love

Content creator Ben Askins, who describes himself as the ‘Champion of young generations,’ often posts workplace disagreements to give a voice to average employees who would otherwise go unheard.

However, one particular story that Askins recently told his 533K followers is so infuriating that it stands out even among his repertoire.

The anecdote comes in the form of a text conversation initiated by an entitled manager who summoned their subordinate in the middle of their holiday trip, demanding they immediately come back to work because of staff shortage.

More info: TikTok

Bad bosses expect their subordinates to serve their every whim

Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

And this TikToker may have found one of the worst ones

Image credits: ben.askin

So he shared a conversation they had with their employee

Image credits: ben.askin

“I’d love to know what he thinks this system is that just magically produces employees whenever he wants, but like, he’s obviously made a mistake. He’s got the rota wrong. That sounds like a problem for sure. But it’s certainly not the poor employee in Mexico’s problem.

He’s got annual leave signed off. It’s a right, not a privilege. You can’t f*ck around with it. I’m gonna get that on a t-shirt at some point. But basically, what he’s done is he’s messed up. Get a contractor in, get a freelancer, move things around. That’s your problem to deal with.

What’s not okay is you start meshing your employee on his annual leave in Mexico, being like “you gotta be in on Thursday”. What do you think he’s going to come back with? And to pep, the employee says this, “You could do what you want. Even if I wanted to come back in time, which I can’t, I wouldn’t. And if you push this, I will be reporting it.” Good for you mate.

I mean, that’s just batsh*t. I mean, what is he doing? I just don’t understand what he thinks is going to happen. Of course he’s not canceling his holiday. Of course he’s not allowed to do what he’s doing. Just get a freelancer in. If you’ve messed up the rota, and you’ve gotta cost yourself, it eats into your margins – that’s your problem, that’s not his. It’s so dumb.”

Image credits: ben.askin

The post featuring the chat immediately went viral

@ben.askins This boss is trying to get their employee to come to work, while they’re on the other side of the planet! #redflags #worstboss #funny ♬ original sound – Ben Askins

Which shouldn’t come as a surprise

This story is a vivid example of the fact that even though 85% of bosses recognize there’s an employee burnout crisis, many of them still aren’t taking the required steps to mitigate it.

In fact, according to a new survey conducted by CalendarLabs, almost 80% of workers feel guilty about taking PTO. This also explains why 66% do more work to prepare for their time off and 69% (including the one who the TikTok was about) respond to work messages on vacation.

The survey discovered many workers feel guilty because they feel a lack of job security, fear a heavier workload upon return, or think their colleagues will have to shoulder additional burdens.

“This guilt can negatively impact their well-being and work performance,” Hannah Workman, part of the creative team for CalendarLabs, told Fortune. “To address this, employers should foster a workplace culture that encourages taking time off without guilt. Promoting breaks, recognizing the importance of mental health, and managing workloads effectively can boost employee satisfaction and productivity.”

The study found that 56% of employers say they are trying to tackle the stigma of taking days off work for mental health, and their most preferred actions include: