A man in Australia made headlines when he decided to resign from his job after receiving a text message from his boss attempting to cancel his upcoming family vacation. The exchange, which was shared online, has sparked discussions about work-life balance and the importance of respecting employees’ time off. The conversation took place when the boss, Nick, informed the employee, Noel, that his scheduled time off was cancelled due to another staff member resigning. Nick claimed that they needed “all hands on deck” to find a replacement. In a video shared on TikTok, it was reportedly mentioned that Nick cancelled Noel’s leave without discussing it with him first, which made him frustrated.
Noel, standing his ground, explained that he couldn’t cancel his leave as he had his brother’s wedding in Bali planned, with flights and family commitments. Despite this, Nick audaciously asked Noel to reduce his leave from three weeks to three days, making a dismissive comment about Bali in the process.
The situation escalated when Nick firmly stated, “Mate, can’t stress enough, your leave is cancelled, we just can’t do it. I’m sorry.” This left Noel feeling shocked and unappreciated, prompting him to decide to start his leave “from today” and question whether he wanted to continue working for a company that disregarded boundaries, reports the New York Post.
Michael Sanz, who shared the conversation online, commended Noel for standing up for himself, stating that no worker should have to justify taking their annual leave. The TikTok video quickly went viral, receiving over 667,000 views and hundreds of supportive comments from people who empathized with Noel’s situation.
After the incident, Noel reportedly took his planned vacation, turning off his phone for three weeks to enjoy his brother’s wedding and some much-needed rest. However, upon his return, he found the management distant and decided to find a new job with better pay, citing the incident as a significant factor in his decision.
Sanz, who received numerous messages from people sharing similar experiences, spoke to news.com.au about the importance of clear work boundaries. He stressed the need for employees to make their boundaries explicit and involve HR in such discussions. Additionally, he called for better education for both management and staff regarding work leave to eliminate the feelings of guilt often imposed on leave takers.
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