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News.com.au
2 days 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.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- 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.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
I have no option but to hand in my notice as my employer is being acquired by a previous employer
The engineering company where I work is being acquired by another company. I also used to work for the company taking over my current employer. I had a very unhappy time in that place as did many others because there is a very bad working culture in the acquiring company. We are being told that there will be no redundancies – voluntary or compulsory. I have no option but to hand in my notice. Would I be entitled to constructive dismissal in these circumstances? READ MORE The reader's case, as described, is an 'unusual and unlucky' situation for an employee to find themselves in, according to experts in employment law and human resources, though they advise not to make any hasty decisions and to use processes available to them. Anne O'Connell , principal of employment law firm AOC Solicitors, believes the reader might be 'jumping the gun' in this case, saying the acquiring company could be under new management, and the takeover might not necessarily mean both are merging. 'They might just work alongside each other and there might be no changes in the personnel, so I think they should see it out and see what happens,' she says, advising not to 'assume anything'. The reader in this case cannot claim constructive dismissal based on their previous experience with the acquiring company, she says, as it was a separate employment and period. 'Unless the new owner actually does something to them in the present, and doesn't remedy it, and they go through the internal procedures first, there's no constructive dismissal,' she says. 'They haven't had dealings with this company in this current role; they can't say their current role is made impossible because something has happened in a different employment, in a different role, in a different location before,' she says. O'Connell advises staying put and seeing how the transfer transpires, and if the employee finds themselves in the same scenario as they did prior, they could lodge a grievance. After the internal grievance process has been exhausted, and if the problem remains unrectified, there could be an avenue for constructive dismissal. 'Only at that point, if the conduct is serious enough, should they look at constructive dismissal, but only if they can objectively say: 'I can't continue in this job,'' she says. Should someone choose to pursue this route, the internal grievance process must be used first, and the employer must be given an opportunity to mend the problem. Will DoorDash takeover of Deliveroo mean better pay and conditions for gig economy workers? Listen | 28:33 Earlier this week, US meal delivery group DoorDash agreed a deal to take over its British rival Deliveroo, which has a big presence in deal is valued at £2.9 billion and will pit the merged group in competition with other online delivery platforms such as Just Eat and Uber Cant is an author and senior lecturer from the University of Essex and also worked for Deliveroo while he was in joined host Ciarán Hancock on the line to discuss the merger and what it might mean for Deliveroo's battalion of gig economy workers and for retailers using the online ordering on this week's Inside Business, the Department of Finance's annual progress report on the Irish economy, a document that informs budgetary strategy and is filed with the European week it brought news of a slowdown in growth, reduced job creation and a significant fall in corporation tax Burke-Kennedy covered the story for The Irish Times and explained the headline numbers in the report and what impact Trump's tariffs will have on Irish economic growth this by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Constructive dismissal is a 'very hard case to bring home for an employee,' she says, in which the employee must prove they had no choice but to resign due to the actions of their employer. 'It's a very last resort, it's a very hard case to win,' O'Connell says. Michelle Halloran , independent HR consultant and workplace investigator, of Halloran HR Resolutions, agrees that circumstances may have improved within the reader's former company. 'Maybe the management has changed – often, people have problems with a particular line manager, there's always a possibility a few years on that it might be a better environment,' she says. However, a period of consultation with employees prior to transfer, which is required, might provide an opportunity for the reader to raise concerns with their current employer, ahead of the acquisition. This would be an chance to raise prior experience in working under the acquiring company, outlining the fact that they do not want to work for them and why. However, documentation such as previous written complaints or grievances made while working under the acquiring company are vital. Should the reader have such documentation, their current employer might approach the acquiring company on their behalf, and both might work towards a solution. While the incoming employer will be the one to make the decision, they may opt to allow for a redundancy package in this case, particularly if there are records to back up the claim. 'If they never raised anything and they just quit, and they're very unlucky and go to work for someone else and they end up being transferred back to the original employer, if there's no record, they don't really have a leg to stand on,' she says.
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Change Careers Without Regretting It
Changing careers can feel risky, here's how to do it the right way getty The thought of walking away from an unfulfilling career can feel exhilarating until fear creeps in. Fear of pay cuts. Fear of starting from scratch. Fear of making a move you'll instantly regret. As exciting as a career change can be, the idea of risking everything you've built can feel heavier than staying stuck where you are. But the truth is, you can make a career change without losing the seniority, stability, or success you've worked hard for in your career. Here's how to navigate your next move with clarity, and avoid a career change you'll regret. A total career overhaul might sound appealing, especially when you've been feeling unhappy in your career for a while, but you don't need to change everything at once to make a successful pivot. Before committing to a massive shift, ask yourself: 'What's truly missing in my career right now?' While reflecting on what's missing, break it down into three core categories: the work itself, the company, and the culture. Often, it's not all three that need to change. It's likely one or two. Maybe you enjoy the work but need a culture that values your voice. Or maybe the company is solid—you like their products and services, but the work no longer excites you. Identifying the true gap helps you determine whether you need a full industry change or simply a more fulfilling role at a better company. When you're clear on what you genuinely need to thrive, you're less likely to overcorrect and more likely to make an intentional, aligned move. One of the biggest mistakes I see high-achievers make when navigating a career change is focusing only on what they hate. But it's equally important to consider the qualities you enjoy or maybe even take for granted in your current role. Skipping this step is often how people end up in a new role that solves one problem but creates another. For instance, let's say you currently enjoy a high level of autonomy and work with a collaborative, supportive team. But, you overlook those things because you're so focused on better compensation. You could find yourself in a new job that pays more but feels stifling, isolated, or overly rigid, landing you right back at square one. To prevent this, before you jump into something new, take a step back and ask yourself: 'What parts of my current job, company, or career do I like, or at least don't mind?' It's easy to ignore these things when you're focused on escaping, but making the right next move will require you to have a list of things you'd like to keep, too. Don't discredit your expertise: If you're worried that changing careers means starting from scratch, one of the best ways to avoid that outcome is to stop undervaluing the experience and knowledge you already have. Instead of assuming your skills don't translate, get curious. What roles or industries value the expertise you bring to the table? For example, I worked with a client who wanted to move out of product management. Instead of making a complete 180, she realized that pivoting to a consulting role in a more fulfilling industry would allow her to leverage her existing skill set, without sacrificing seniority. Once you've identified roles that align with your strengths, don't default to lower-level positions just because you're entering new territory. If your expertise holds weight, and it likely does, you can position yourself for senior-level opportunities where your experience is seen as an asset, not a liability. Changing careers can feel risky, especially when you've worked hard to get where you are now. But you don't have to throw everything away to pursue something more fulfilling. The key to a successful pivot isn't starting from scratch, it's knowing what to change, what to keep, and how to lead with the expertise you already have. Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure new positions they love without applying to jobs 24/7, starting over or settling for less. Grab her dream job guide.
