Latest news with #boss
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Is this normal?': Boss makes wild demand on a bank holiday
A bizarre exchange between a boss and an employee asking for the bare minimum has gone unsurprisingly viral. UK workplace expert Ben Askins has found his niche online by sharing anonymous but increasingly bizarre text message exchanges between workers and their bosses. He recently shared a wild exchange after an employee sent him a heated work text exchange and asked him, 'Is this normal?' It started normally enough. A boss texted a worker and asked them to make some design changes because the client had been chasing the workplace about it. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Wrong. The boss made this demand when it was a public holiday, and the worker was completely entitled to the day off. 'Oh sorry I thought we had bank holidays off,' the worker texted back. 'Technically yes but US clients don't have the same ones and if they need something we need to jump on it,' the boss replied. 'I'm not sure I will be free. I just made plans today assuming it was a proper day-off,' the worker replied. 'You are going to have to cancel them I am afraid. Nothing we can do about it,' the boss wrote back. The worker replied and went straight to bargaining asking if there was any possible wriggle room and if they could do the work in the afternoon or at night. The boss responded and shared they'd been online all day and claimed the worker needed to be more 'responsive'. 'I am not asking for much here,' the boss claimed. The worker continued to try to find a middle ground and suggested emailing the client on their day off to explain the situation and let them know they'd work on the design changes later on. 'Look I have said no. I need you on this now. I can't keep repeating myself,' the boss claimed. 'Okay I will take a look,' the worker fired back. Mr Askins immediately called out the boss, claimed they were being 'ridiculous,' and claimed that most clients would be completely understanding. 'You're completely missing the point. It is your business, of course, you're going to care a lot more. If you want people to care about it during bank holidays you have to incentivise them,' he argued. 'Pay them more or give them some skin in the game.' Mr Askins said that the boss needs to set up their business better and annoy employees on a public holiday. 'This is totally not okay and really poor,' he declared. Naturally most people online weren't impressed with the boss making such demands. 'Why do people respond to work messages outside of working hours?' One asked. 'No. If it's my day off, I'm not working,' another declared. 'How about you pay people to work a public holiday,' someone else suggested. 'Normal? Probably. Acceptable? Absolutely not,' one raged. 'People need to touch grass. Unless someone is going to die over the delay, it can wait,' one claimed. Someone else said it was 'bullying' the worker into working for free, and this exact behaviour was why they'd left their last job.
The Verge
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
1.02 patch will add improvements
Make it Nightreign. Next week's Elden Ring Nightreign's for solo runs, including an automatic revival once per main boss and an increase in the runes you get. Like my colleague Ash, I had fun with solo runs even though they were tough, so this should make them better.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘This is a joke right?' Boss goes viral for trying to cancel worker's annual leave
A boss is going viral for asking a worker to cancel their annual leave in the middle of their holiday. Yes seriously. UK Workplace expert Ben Askins, who has found his sweet spot online by sharing anonymous but wild text message exchanges between bosses and employees, has found yet another baffling exchange. There's also no warm-up with this exchange. The boss doesn't even with pleasantries; instead they fire off a text a text explaining that they are 'sorry' to do this but there's been a 'mistake' and they're going to have to can their worker's annual leave. 'I am going to have to cancel the second half of your annual leave this week. You'll need to be in the office Thursday and Friday,' the boss texted. 'Huh? But I'm already in Mexico,' the worker replied. The boss then completely ignored the fact they were in a foreign country and continued to demand the worker return. 'Sorry but like I said there's nothing I can do. I am going to update the system now saying you'll be in,' the boss fired back. The worker desperately tried to apply some logic to the situation and points out again they're in a different country. 'I won't be in. I'm literally in another country there's no scenario where I can make it back in time,' the worker claims. The boss seemingly ignores the message and tells the worker, 'you will have to' move your flights around before claiming they found a return flight for Wednesday evening. 'This is a joke right? You aren't seriously asking me this?' The worker texted back. The boss confirmed it was not a joke. 'I am not asking. I am telling you the situation. I appreciate it isn't ideal, but too many people are off Thursday and Friday, so you're just going to have to be back here by then,' the boss demands. The employee refused to give in and informed the boss that he could 'do what they want,' but they wouldn't be returning to work early. 'Even if I wanted to come back in time, which I can't, I wouldn't. If you push this! I will be reporting you,' the worker said. Mr Askins immediately slammed the boss and pointed out there's no excuse to make such outrageous demands. 'Oh come on. You must know you're not allowed to do that,' he said. 'He has obviously made a mistake. He has got the roster wrong. That sounds like a problem for sure, but it certainly isn't the poor employees' in Mexico's problem.' The workplace added that annual leave is a 'right, not a privilege,' and no boss can interfere with it just because it is convenient for them. Online people were shocked. 'This first mistake is replying,' one noted. 'I wouldn't even respond,' another said. 'I'd report it anyway. The boss has to learn,' someone else said. 'I would report him. He ruined her holidays. I would get a new holiday for the distress he caused,' another said. 'I actually genuinely hate bosses and managers who think they own you simply because you work for a company! It's sickening,' someone else shared.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Boss sparks outrage with 'absurd' texts to an employee on their holiday: 'This is beyond inappropriate'
A boss has been slammed online for attempting to cancel an employee's approved annual leave after the worker had already arrived at their destination. The text exchange, shared on British career expert Ben Askins ' TikTok account, has gone viral and sparked fierce debate about workplace boundaries and power abuse. In the messages, the boss contacted the employee late in the week with a blunt message: 'Hey, I am sorry to do this so late, but there has been a mistake with the annual leave and I am going to have to cancel the second half of your annual leave this week. You will need to be in the office Thursday and Friday.' The stunned employee replied, 'Huh? But I am already in Mexico?' Unfazed, the manager continued: 'Sorry, like I said, there is nothing I can do. I am going to update the system now saying you will be in.' The employee made it clear this wasn't possible: 'But I won't be in? I am literally in another country, there is no scenario where I can make it back in time.' Incredibly, the boss doubled down and suggested a new flight. 'You will have to move your flights around. I have just checked and there is one on Wednesday evening that you can get.' A boss has been slammed online for attempting to cancel an employee's approved annual leave after the worker had already arrived at their destination The employee, increasingly frustrated, asked: 'This is a joke right? You aren't seriously asking me this?' The response was serious: 'Definitely not a joke. And I am not asking, I am telling you the situation. I appreciate it isn't ideal but too many people are off Thursday and Friday and so you are going to have to be back here by then. I have updated the system.' At that point, the employee shut it down: 'You can 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 this.' Ben Askins, who regularly posts workplace advice to his large TikTok following, was stunned by the boss's behaviour. In his video, he told viewers the demand was 'completely out of order' and reminded workers that annual leave, once approved, is a right, not something that can be taken away at a manager's convenience. He pointed out the absurdity of the situation, saying it was not the employee's job to solve rota mistakes made by management. Instead of trying to drag a worker back from their holiday, the company should have looked for a contractor or a temporary solution. The video struck a nerve with thousands of viewers, many of whom shared their own workplace horror stories in the comments. The text exchange, shared on British career expert Ben Askins' TikTok account, has gone viral and sparked fierce debate about workplace boundaries and power abuse One person said they would only consider returning under one condition: 'Pay for my flights, reimburse my holiday in full and book me another holiday where you won't disturb me - and we have a deal.' Others couldn't believe the employee even replied. 'Their first mistake is replying. No signal in Mexico,' one viewer joked. Another added, 'Why do people reply when on holiday? I would just leave it unread.' One user recalled being in Dubai for their brother's wedding when the assistant manager of a German supermarket demanded they fly home for a four-hour shift - or face disciplinary action. Another explained how they're expected to check the work roster daily, even on scheduled days off, or risk being written up if it changes without notice. Others shared stories of their leave being cancelled due to staffing changes, with one employee billing HR for their pre-booked trip after cover fell through - and receiving only a snarky 'have a nice trip' in response. While the texts in question came from the UK, similar workplace protections exist in Australia. Once leave is approved and commenced, cancelling it without mutual agreement is generally considered unlawful. The incident has sparked broader conversations around toxic management, poor planning, and the erosion of work-life boundaries. Commenters were quick to express their frustration with bosses who treat employees as if they are on call around the clock. In the words of one viewer: 'I actually genuinely hate bosses and managers who think they own you simply because you work for a company. It's sickening.' Askins echoed those sentiments and urged employees to know their rights. He said the boss in this case didn't just mishandle the situation - they trampled over basic employment standards and common sense. For many watching online, the story wasn't just about one bad manager. It became a symbol of the creeping expectation that workers should sacrifice personal time for jobs that offer little in return, even when they're halfway across the world.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Wrong': Insane request from boss goes viral
A boss is going viral for the wild text message he sent a female worker on annual leave. UK workplace expert Ben Askins has found his niche online by sharing anonymous text messages submitted by workers and calling out bosses. He has racked up over 27 million views, sharing people's work sagas and giving a real glimpse into modern workplaces. Mr Askins recently shared an exchange between a boss and an employee where he claimed the boss got it very 'wrong' with his behaviour. It started out innocently enough: A boss texted a team member and asked if they could handle a presentation for a co-worker who couldn't make it to the meeting because they were at an emergency client meeting. The employee replied and explained that she couldn't come in because she had booked in annual leave and had plans with her children. 'It wasn't really a request TBH. I need you in by 11am,' the boss fired back. The worker didn't accept the demand and argued that she had been working extra hours for weeks and was entitled to leave, which had been approved in advance. The boss didn't agree and argued, 'One day isn't too much to ask. I can revoke your day off and expect you in at 11am.' 'That doesn't feel very fair,' the mum fired back, before arguing that a co-worker attending a lunch shouldn't take priority over her spending time with her children. 'Not going to lie. I decide what is fair. We will have a conversation about our commitment when you're in today. If you're not here, it is coming out of your bonus,' the boss said. Mr Askins claimed he'd never seen someone 'be more wrong in a text message' and argued that under no circumstances do you get to 'guilt people' into giving up their annual leave. He also argued that the boss had his priorities all wrong and looked horrified by the exchange. 'How are these people in management?' he asked. People online weren't impressed by the text exchange, with many sharing, and this is exactly why they don't respond to work requests outside of office hours. 'Last time I checked paying me doesn't mean owning me,' one pointed out. 'This is why you don't answer works texts outside of office hours,' another advised. 'This is tough to watch. Definitely not the kind of leadership anyone deserves,' one admitted. 'I swear some managers wish annual leave didn't exist,' one said. 'This is awful,' someone else said. 'I hope they quit that job,' another wrote.
