Gen Z employee gets CEO-approved breakup ‘recovery’ leave; Here’s how netizens reacted

Recently, a candid leave request email from a young employee of Gurugram-based knot.dating went viral on social media. The email, marked to the company's CEO, read: “I recently went through a breakup and haven’t been able to focus on work. I’m working from home today, but I’d like to take leave from the 28th to the 8th to take a short break.” 

And the CEO, Jasveer Singh, shared the surprising leave request on platform X, which struck a chord not for what was mentioned in the email but because of how it was asked. Sharing the screenshot of the email, the CEO said it is the “most honest” leave request he has ever received. “Gen Z doesn't do filters,” he added. 

The post, which garnered over 13 million views, was welcomed by netizens as they praised the employee’s honest communication approach. An X user wrote, “Maybe us boomers need more Gen Zs in our lives... they bring a certain kind of honesty and directness, and that's a good thing.” 

“When I see these types of leaves or overshares, I love them. Instant approval. I don’t have to question why, and there are only so many times they can use the excuse haha,” commented another.

“Leave should be approved for his honesty and understanding. Always stand by your employees; during tough times, they’ll stand by you too. Many people don’t realize that some are emotionally sensitive and need support. Empathy is the key to true leadership,” said one of the users.

While some also compared the 'casual' approach with previous generations like Millennials and Gen Xers.

"From my point of view, you should not have approved the leave and encouraged him to come to office, you would have encouraged him to come to office and meet fellow colleagues, this time loneliness will not be better for him. Should have been a better suggestion from GEN Y to GEN Z And woh amir khan Ka dialogue bolne ka tha na hamare zamane ki therapy!!!," added another. 

Netizens also requested the CEO to approve ‘her’ leave, to which the CEO responded, “Leave approved without any questions😅,” which was done 'instantly' and 'without a second thought'. 

The incident turned out to be the best example of transparent workplace communication. 

 “Someone said: ‘Now she deserves a hike too 😅,’” the CEO added later on. 

In today's evolving workplace culture, where conversations about mental health and emotional well-being are taking centre stage, CEO Singh showed how simple support can help the younger generation of the workforce feel included and understood in the workplace. Take note, leaders!