In an amusing but degrading incident, a WhatsApp message from a Gen Z employee requesting a family death leave soon circulated on social media. The manager who was lacking in sympathy and understanding asked the employee to be in a customer meeting which he thought was ‘too important’ and ‘a must.’ He even joked about the death by saying, ‘It’s like he’s not your parent,’ which was a very hurtful and damaging comment to the employee’s situation.
Gen Z Employee Stands Up To A Toxic Boss
The employee who was deeply affected by the situation said that his uncle was more than just a relative, ‘he was my father, he was my growth.’ He also pointed out that it was very difficult to do the meeting while mourning and pretending to be normal. The young worker not only reminded the manager of his previous commitment to him during the hard times but also made it apparent that his one day off request was quite reasonable given all the late nights, weekends, and hard work during the past months.
Only Gen-Z can change the toxic Indian Work Culture
Salute to this guy pic.twitter.com/5xFLzvB7i7
— Oxygen 💨 (@WhateverVishal) November 15, 2025
When the manager said that the employee’s feelings were not valid and described him as “overreacting,” the employee remained steadfast. He told that he was fighting for the most fundamental thing, basic human decency. He warned that if the manager could not see the need for empathy, he might not be the right person to work with. Then the employee reported that the manager had threatened to go through with the disciplinary process, labeled the leave as unpaid, and even asked for a death certificate. The whole incident had a massive social media impact, the solidarity with the employee’s courage plus the pointing out of the absence of empathy as a feature of the toxic workplace culture were the main issues discussed. The new generation taught the older leadership a very powerful lesson.
