Boss’s harsh reply to mum of sick child fuels outrage over workplace culture. Photo / Getty Images
Boss’s harsh reply to mum of sick child fuels outrage over workplace culture. Photo / Getty Images
An Australian office worker shared the frustrating response they received after informing their boss they needed the morning off to take their sick child to the hospital.
The exchange was shared on TikTok by career expert Ben Askins, who often highlights poor behaviour from bosses online.
The mother texted herboss in the morning to let them know her son had been unwell overnight with a high fever, and she already had leave approved by another manager.
But instead of showing empathy, her boss said: “That’s really not ideal. You know what we’re up against this week, can’t someone else handle it?”
The employee replied: “No, sorry, there’s no one else that can do it.”
The boss then approved the absence but told her not to “take too long” as “we need you on this project”.
Askins criticised the boss’s poor management skills in the video, saying: “Do you think she wants to be doing this in the morning? She’s got a sick kid, she’s got to take him to the hospital, that’s obviously just quite a stressful situation.”
A mum’s text exchange with her boss has gone viral. Photo / TikTok/ben.askins
“The idea that she’s sitting there going, ‘Ah, well, I could go to work but I quite fancy (taking my child to the hospital instead) is ridiculous”.
The exchange resonated with Australians, particularly parents and caregivers who often struggle to balance work commitments and family responsibilities.
Although Australian law provides employees with personal or carer’s leave to look after sick or injured relatives, many workers say the office culture sends a different message.
“Some bosses are inhumane, and their actions prove it,” said one person.
“And they wonder why it’s hard to keep workers,” another added.
It was branded as "cruel" and "ridiculous" online. Photo / TikTok, ben.askins
Others shared their own horror stories.
“I had to call in sick while I was legit throwing up on the call … the next day the manager texted me saying she was disappointed no one stepped up over the weekend,” shared another.
“In the 70s I had to do this, and I was sacked. They said if I really cared about my job, I would have found someone to sit with my daughter in hospital. Horrible that this mindset still exists,” another added.
One person even said their former employer bizarrely required 24 hours’ notice before an unplanned emergency.
However, to give others hope, many filled the comments section with positive stories.
“I took two days off and have been working from home for the last four. My boss is more worried about me getting better than coming in,” shared one.
It comes after a 2025 national survey by people2people Recruitment found that 63% of workers admitted to not taking sick leave when they needed to, with 22% citing feelings of guilt.
Eighteen per cent said they still came into work because they were “too busy” to take sick leave and 16% said they did it because of a “feat of judgment”.
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