In a now-viral Reddit post, a woman said her co-worker's former boss once sent her co-worker an email telling her to stop being sad at work.
The woman, u/Plenty-Artichoke7924, posted a screenshot of the email in Reddit's "Antiwork" forum on Sunday, writing: "She [my co-worker] had just found out that her boyfriend of 4+ years had been cheating on her. She started looking for another job immediately after reading this." The post has garnered over 23,000 upvotes and nearly 4,000 comments from Redditors who couldn't agree if the email was "gross" or reasonable.
u/Plenty-Artichoke7924, for her part, criticized the employer's lack of empathy—a managerial trait many experts say is necessary for employee satisfaction.
Empathetic Leadership
"The best managers are people who genuinely care about the people they work with, and [who] report to them," GoodHire CEO Mike Grossman told Fast Company. "It's not just lip service; it's not just rhetoric; they actually care about the people, how happy they are, about their professional development, and they invest the time and energy to help folks on their team."
The pandemic, in particular, has increased the need for empathetic workplace leadership, as the pandemic has "made [workers'] personal and professional lives fuse together," Caitlin Duffy, director of research at the consulting firm Gartner, told CNBC last week.
"Employees now expect leaders at work to address all of their personal needs that have become more complex and sensitive over the last few years," Duffy added. "Employees want a personalized experience, and leaders [must] adapt to that. [Authenticity, empathy and adaptability] may have been important for leadership in the past, but they're non-negotiable today."
It's not known whether or not the email u/Plenty-Artichoke7924's co-worker received came during the pandemic. However, she still slammed her co-worker's former employer for being insensitive.
The Email
"I wanted to send this before you came in so you could absorb it," the email began. "He [co-worker's ex-boyfriend] was a part of your life, but he is NOT all of your life. We need you here and present at the bakery."
The email then instructed the co-worker to "fake it until [she makes] it" and reminded her that their small workplace can feel "oppressive" with someone "moping around."
"You know we are a bit woo woo here, and thought of all that sadness going into cakes isn't something we want," the email continued. "I heartily recommend some therapy to help you through things. You WILL be okay [and] you will survive, but it is unhealthy to embrace that helplessness and [think] that he ruined everything."
Redditors React
While u/Plenty-Artichoke7924 thought the email was inappropriate, some Redditors thought the boss was justified in not wanting their employee to be "negative" at work.
"I see absolutely nothing wrong with this. It was well written and tells the truth. Nobody needs a crybaby at a place of business," u/tommyboy110 wrote.
"This seems pretty generous to me. Going into the workplace full of negativity rubs off on your co-workers. If you are really so off-balance that you can't keep control of your emotions so they don't impact other people, you need time off work and serious therapy," u/FlourishingBroccoli said.
Others, however, thought the email was "gross" and insensitive.
"This is incredibly manipulative and gross," u/Satans_Cheese_Whiz said.
"I get that the letter is trying to come across [as] friendly but to be honest, I just find it unprofessional," u/AmiNToast added.
u/TheeFoolishKing said: "How are you insensitive and caring at the same time? Pick a lane."
Newsweek has reached out to u/Plenty-Artichoke7924 for comment.
More Viral Posts
On Monday, Redditors slammed a boss who threatened to fire their employee for refusing to work on their day off.
Last week, commenters debated whether or not an employer was right to ask their employee to bring a "funeral note" to work following the death of the employee's grandfather.
And earlier this month, a worker said in a viral video that he was denied a promotion after telling his boss that his dad has cancer.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
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