‘He had a breakup and took a one-week leave’: Employer shares about his Gen-Z employee, internet reacts

A recent social media post has fuelled discussion on the shifting norms in workplaces as Gen Z employees prioritise mental health and personal time, often challenging long-held office conventions. In a tweet that went viral, a manager shared his frustration when one of his younger team members announced a one-week leave for a mountain retreat following a breakup during a critical phase of a project.

The manager, sharing his experience on X (formerly Twitter), wrote, “One of my Gen Z team members suddenly declared 1-week leave… It was a critical time of the project, so I tried to reason. He did not budge. The leave was because he had a breakup and wanted to go to the mountains to forget.”

While the manager likely expected sympathy, the post quickly took a different turn, with users criticising him for downplaying mental health. “So according to you, mental health is nothing,” replied one user. Another said, “That’s a perfect reason to declare leave. Business will go on as will other things.”

Many users came to the defence of the employee, applauding Gen Z’s stance on setting boundaries and valuing mental well-being. “It’s better to give people leaves than to burden them with deadlines,” one user remarked, suggesting that workplaces might benefit from accommodating rather than challenging these perspectives.

In response to the criticism, the manager clarified that he hadn’t fired the employee and even recognised him with a promotion. “Mate, no need to assume the worst. The guy is still in my team and has even been promoted for his good work,” he tweeted, acknowledging that “Gen Z’s are doing things differently.”

This incident echoes a similar case where another manager’s screenshot of a Gen Z employee’s leave application—a simple, “I will be on leave till November 8, 2024. Bye.”—resonated widely online, showing that young professionals are unafraid to assert themselves in work environments.

While some users rallied behind the managers, many argue that this generation’s approach to work-life balance could drive more empathetic, inclusive workplaces.