A boss has been criticized for an “unreasonable” note stuck to an office notice board.
The message warned employees against taking time off work to care for their sick children.
British career expert Ben Askins was sent the note and read out its contents in a video.
“Calling because your child is sick is no longer a valid excuse for missing work and will now result in a letter,” the note read.
“We do not employ your children, and as such their illness is not an excuse for you to miss work. Go team!’
In Australia, full-time and part-time employees can take care leave (paid or unpaid) if they need to care for an immediate family member or household member who is ill, injured or affected by an unexpected emergency.
Temporary employees are entitled to two days of unpaid care leave per occasion.
Mr Askins was shocked by the manager’s callousness.
A boss has been criticized for an ‘unreasonable’ note stuck to an office noticeboard targeting vulnerable workers
“I can’t fathom the logic of how some people think something like this will help their business,” he said.
“I find ‘go team’ a pretty unpleasant phrase at the best of times, and I think it’s unacceptable to use it in this context.”
Mr Askins continued: ‘I understand their argument, but if it’s your child, what should you do? You have a child, they are sick. Do you think it helps to be forced to work?
“You’ll be distracted, you won’t even try, you’ll have all this at home. It will cause problems for you, which will also cause problems for the company itself.
‘You have to give a little leeway, there have to be scenarios in which you support [your employees] -because that’s how you get people to work for you and show loyalty.’
A few managers agreed with the note.
‘Parents are taking the lead these days, so I agree with this message! As an employee, your child is not my problem. I’m tired of having to slack off all the time,” one man wrote.
‘This is one of those situations that can easily be taken advantage of. “If it’s a two-parent household, it’s strange that it’s always the same parent who needs time off,” another added.
British career expert Ben Askins was sent the note and read its contents in a video
But most criticized the boss for being “unreasonable.”
“Some children may be old enough to stay home sick alone, but imagine if it’s a small child, especially if you’re a single parent without a support network,” one woman said.
One working mother said, “I was working in retail and didn’t go one day because my son was sick. I was told ‘company before your children’. I said goodbye and grabbed my coat. I was asked if I wanted to work on my notice period! Err, no!’
“This job is not as important to me as being arrested for neglecting my child. Going to jail is much more serious,” another added.
“Fine, I bring my sick kid to work and they infect the whole office,” one woman wrote hatefully.
A few managers shared friendly opinions.
‘I am a manager. “When someone needs to go away or take the day off, my answer is always the same: ‘family first,’” one person said.
‘I called because my daughter was sick and the manager I spoke to said, ‘We’re not saving lives here, your family is your priority. Go take care of your child,” another added.