‘Overwhelmed’ Gen Z Intern Tells Boss They'll Be Out Of The Office Because Work Is Not The Right ‘Vibe’
Her reason for taking time off was certainly unconventional.
fizkes | Shutterstock Gen Zers are known for displaying some odd behavior in the workplace. Many in older generations accuse them of just not being mature enough because they’re too lazy. Some would argue these are unfair generational stereotypes, but one boss found that there could be some truth to them.
A supervisor who was in charge of three new Gen Z interns found themselves in an interesting predicament after one of the interns sent them a message to let them know she would be taking some time off without any notice. The reason she gave had to do with the “vibe” at work.
A manager shared the bizarre email they received from one of their interns that left them questioning Gen Z’s readiness for work.
In a post titled “Corporate world is not ready for Gen Z!” a manager shared a screenshot of the email they received from an intern that they could hardly believe. “So I work at an AI startup and lead a group of three Gen Z interns, and it’s a unique experience really,” they said. “I got an email from one of the interns asking for a leave (not actually asking).”
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The attached screenshot featured an email with the subject, “Going on a trip.” The intern said, “Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the work and my energy feels a little off so not getting that vibe right now.”
She continued, “I’ll be out from 28th July to 30th July ([please] don’t miss me). Here’s my train PNR … and attaching the Goibibo booking slip for reference.” Goibibo is an Indian travel website that could be compared to Expedia or Travelocity.
The manager added, “Asia mail 20 sal ki career mein main babhi mahi dekha.” According to a commenter, this is a Hindi phrase that roughly translates to, “I have never seen a mail like this in my 20 years of working.”
“But at least they’re being honest, and I appreciate that,” they concluded. “Anyways, she was frustrated with all the work, so I approved it.”
This intern was lucky she had such an understanding boss who was willing to laugh the whole thing off.
Many people would not have been so kind and forgiving, especially when they felt frustrated about dealing with new, young interns. Writing for Fortune, Orianna Rosa Royale noted that many Gen Zers are thought of as being lazy at work. Royale cited people like TikToker Robbie Scott, who argued that Gen Z was really being treated unfairly by older generations.
Royale said that Scott was onto something. Gen Z is the second-most educated generation after millennials, but they’re facing an impossible job market. Royale reported that 20% of job seekers have been looking for employment for at least 10 to 12 months. Additionally, many Gen Zers admit that they regret racking up so much student debt when it no longer seems necessary to have a degree to get most jobs. Unfortunately, inflation is also a factor, meaning that even if a Gen Zer has a good job, their money isn’t doing as much for them as it did for their parents.
Gen Z was split in their reaction to the message.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t care outside the short notice,” one commenter shared.
Thirdman | Pexels
Some were willing to admit that the email was in poor taste and could have been handled better, like one commenter who noted, “Look, I’m Gen Z and I get the desire for a break, but there are better ways to say you’re taking one. I find this embarrassingly unprofessional. Nothing wrong with honesty but so many better ways to say this.”
While Gen Z has been through a lot, it is a bit strange to claim you need a break from work because of the vibe. If you need to ask for time off, do it, but at least have some professionalism about it.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
