A boss has been criticized for an “unreasonable” note pinned to an office notice board.
The message admonished employees for taking time off work to care for their sick children.
British racing expert Ben Askins received the note and read its contents in a video.
“Calling because your child is sick is no longer a valid excuse to miss work and will now result in a notification,” the note said.
‘We do not employ your children and therefore their illness is not an excuse for you to miss work. Let’s go team!’
In Australia, full- and part-time employees can take caregiver 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.
Casual employees are entitled to two days of unpaid leave to care for their carers for each occasion.
Mr Askins was shocked by the manager’s insensitivity.
A boss has come under fire for an “unreasonable” note pinned to an office notice board aimed at vulnerable workers.
“I can’t understand the logic of how some people think something like this is going to help their businesses,” he said.
“I think ‘go team’ is 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 your argument, but if it’s your son, what are you supposed to do? You have a son, he is sick. Do you think it will help if they force you to go to work?
“You’ll get distracted, you won’t do your best, this all happens at home.” It will cause problems for you, which will cause problems for the company itself.
“You have to give yourself some leeway, there have to be scenarios where you support (your employees), because that’s how you get people to work for you and show loyalty to you.”
Some managers agreed with the note.
‘Parents these days are taking it upon themselves so I agree with this message! As an employee, your son is not my problem. “I’m sick of taking over,” one man wrote.
‘This is one of those situations that can be easily taken advantage of. “If it’s a two-parent household, it’s strange that it’s the same parent who needs help every time,” another added.
British racing expert Ben Askins received the note and read its contents in a video.
But most criticized the boss for being “unreasonable.”
“Some children may be old enough to be home alone sick, but imagine it’s a toddler, especially if you’re a single parent and don’t have a support network,” one woman said.
One working mother shared: ‘I worked in retail and didn’t go in one day because my son was sick. They told me ‘the company before your children’. I said goodbye and took my coat. They asked me if I would work on my notice! Hey, no!
‘This job is not as important to me as being arrested for neglecting my son. Going to prison is much more serious,” added another.
“Well, I’m bringing my sick son to work and they’re infecting the entire office,” one woman wrote spitefully.
Some managers shared kind opinions.
‘I am a manager. If someone needs to leave or take a day off, my response is always the same: “family first,” one said.
“I called because my daughter was sick and the manager I spoke to told me, ‘We’re not saving lives here, your family is your priority.’ Go take care of your child,” added another.
