Boss Texts Employee About His 'Unacceptable' Behavior During Work Despite Being The Top Performer For The Day
Toxic work culture is one way to force employees out of a company and this employee is proving that, sometimes, enough is enough.
TikTok A boss' text message to one of their employees has gone viral, with many people left shocked at the "ridiculous" exchange.
In a TikTok video, Rich the Recruiter, a content creator who often makes videos on his platform about workplace drama and points out that these incidents are why people are quitting at higher rates, shared screenshots from a text message conversation between a boss and an employee.
An employee received a text from their boss about their behavior at work, despite being one of the top performers that day.
In Rich's video, he explained that a boss had decided to confront one of their employees after noticing that he had been sitting while working his shift.
"Good evening. I was reviewing the cameras from our shift today and noticed that you were sitting on a stool for the majority of your shift," the boss' message read. "This is completely unacceptable behavior, and we will be discussing it tomorrow before shift."
In response to the message, the employee wrote back that he had spoken with his lead manager before his shift about sitting down since he had broken bones in his left foot. He also pointed out that he was provided with proof from his doctor about his broken bones.
"Aside from that, I packed 240 units per hour for the entirety of my shift. 12 full hours," the employee continued. He also added that at their job, there is a "ranked list" for the number of employees who have packed certain packages that day, and he was ranked the top performer for that shift. "So, just to be clear — my impressive performance was overshadowed by the fact that I wasn't uncomfortable enough doing it?"
The man's boss immediately doubled down, writing back that he didn't "appreciate" the employee's "attitude," and that instead of replying in that manner, he should've just said that his medical excuse was cleared with the lead manager.
Rich pointed out that to avoid scenarios like this, bosses shouldn't be having these types of conversations with their employees over texts or emails, but should instead be in person, as to avoid any confusion.
"Thanks for wasting my precious off time with some garbage you didn't bother to investigate beforehand," the employee replied. He pointed out that instead of receiving praise for being the top worker that day, he was given "grief" because he had been sitting while working.
At the end of his message, he told his boss that he wouldn't be returning to work the next day, or ever, handing in his resignation.
"You guys need to get your priorities straight," he told his boss. "It is no wonder you have such difficulties retaining staff."
His boss immediately replied that there was "no rush" to make decisions in an attempt to deter his employee from quitting and that they could talk about any issues during their next shift.
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It's been proven that keeping employees happy increases productivity and lessens the chance of high quitting rates.
According to research conducted by Survey Monkey, happier employees are more engaged, with increased productivity as well as a far lower rate of absenteeism from work.
Employees in the workforce today are not only looking for jobs to pay their bills but are also seeking a place of employment that lets them hone their skills. 60% of employees feel that being able to do what they do best in their job is very important.
When it comes to unhappy employees, it's common for them to spend one to two years at a company before leaving in search of a better work culture. A recent Gallup Poll, via Survey Monkey, found that half of all employees were searching for a new job or on the lookout for a better work opportunity.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Rich pointed out in his video. "Happy employees stay longer."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics.