A young worker has revealed one question bosses need to stop asking their employees immediately.
Chelsea Carney, 34, lives in Melbourne, Australia and is self-employed, but after years of working for other people, there’s one question she can’t stand.
“Just a little thought for employers. Maybe before asking staff a question about why they’re taking leave, consider that it could be personal. It could be mental health-related and you don’t need to know,” she advised.
“The reason people have that leave is to take it.”
She said employers should just let “people live” and not ask why workers are using basic entitlements.
Ms Carney told news.com.au that employers and line managers need to be respectful of privacy.
“People need to be able to have a life and also have their privacy respected. Leave is to be given and used as people see fit. It is an entitlement and should be treated as such,” she said.
Sure, she can understand that sometimes bosses’ intentions are innocent and they are just asking after staff, but because of the power dynamics, she believes it is up to the employees to share if they want to.
“Life happens, and sometimes these life events are private, traumatic or otherwise, and don’t need to be communicated to an employer,” she said.
The Melbourne local said there’s been a generational change, and Millennials and Gen Zers don’t want work to become their whole lives.
“I absolutely think that there is generational change occurring with respect to setting boundaries, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.
“I also think this is highly dependent on workplace culture and expectations. Sometimes staff might be good at setting boundaries, but this does not mean those boundaries will be respected.”
Ms Carney is passionate about setting work boundaries because her direct managers asked prying questions when she was younger.
“In my twenties, I was absolutely put through the wringer, with management taking my reason for leave, which was private, and sharing it with other staff,” she said.
“Now, if I were asked and I wasn’t willing to share, I would be very happy to say, ‘My reason is a private matter, and I would appreciate it if you could respect that’.”
Online Ms Carney’s hot take got a big response from workers but not everyone could agree on if asking why someone’s on leave is rude.
“When I put in for sick leave due to an upcoming surgery and confirmed I’d have a medical certificate to provide them with, and they asked what surgery I was having,” one wrote.
“A good manager will ask you some questions to try to support you by lessening your workload or creating flexibility in working arrangements to support you,” another advised.
“20 years ago, we didn’t have to explain ourselves- Aussie employers have become so nosy and unprofessional it’s a turn-off,” someone claimed.
“This whole work thing has become such an overlord power dynamic that needs to stop immediately,” another said.
“Maybe they genuinely care. I am an employer, and I care,” one boss claimed.
Angelica Hunt, head of marketing at TDC Global, said that employees have a right to privacy.
“An environment where employees are asked to justify their personal leave absences can encroach on their right to privacy, and create unnecessary stress, especially if someone is already having a rough time or dealing with a sensitive issue,” she explained.
That doesn’t mean that employers shouldn’t be supportive of staff.
“Management shouldn’t be totally hands-off. It’s important to maintain open dialogues with team members, particularly when patterns of absenteeism emerge, especially if the individual might need some support.”
