100% ageed. We seriously need to normalise compassion for colleagues and pushing back on overwork and entitled clients. I’ve been a senior manager in IT for a decade and whether one of my reports’ kids is sick or someone just needs half a day out due to a migraine, I’ll let them do what they need to do. Turns or if you treat your colleagues like actual fucking human beings they actually appreciate you and often return the favour when the crisis has been dealt with.

Some of the horror stories in this thread of people phoning into zoom calls from the doctor’s office are insane. The world is not going to end just because Jerry couldn’t join this morning’s scrum or you had to move a call with a client.

“Oh but if underling #148 takes the afternoon off sick we won’t hit our weekly sales goal”. You know what Karen, firstly we sell receipt processing software, we are not saving any lives here yet a fucking grip. Secondly, if you deny them that time off they will be doing the bare minimum for the next quarter while they job hunt and inevitably leave.

I truly resent being forced to partake in this ridiculous system but for as long as I have to, I’m going to have the decency to try to protect my team the best I can.