A Generation Z employee has sparked a fiery debate after refusing to attend an 8am work meeting because they had a “workout” class.
Natalie Marie and Ross Pomerantz, who hosts the podcast Demoted, prompted a row on social media platform TikTok.
The pair shared their reaction to an email they received from a listener claiming a Gen Z employer refused to attend the meeting.
The hosts' response to the email led to a debate about work-life balance.
A Gen Z employee said their gym class clashed with an early meeting
GETTY
In the email, the listener asked whether it should be “allowed” for their “Gen Z new hire” to refuse to show up to an early morning meeting because they had a workout class.
Marie said: “You just started this job. I don't give a flying s**t about your workout class.
“Also an 8am workout class is too late. Work out at six, maybe seven.”
Pomerantz noted that the employee's response made him “angry”, adding: “My visceral reaction was are you f***ing kidding me? My hand's shaking, and it's not from the caffeine.”
He also claimed: “To monopolise your calendar for things that I would consider to be personal time, that's gonna be a 'no' for me dog.”
TikTok creator Alexandre Evidente reacted to the clip by putting himself in the employee’s shoes.
The creator, who amassed over 30 million views for his video, said: “Okay, let's just say I skip the gym. Two things.
“When can I expect you to reimburse me for my class?
“And two, are you going to be paying me from 8am to 9am?
“Or at the very least let me leave at 4pm Natalie, if your answer to both of those are "no" then there's no discussion needed.”
A significant amount of users responded to the video to voice their opinions on the issue.
One said: “Yeah, don't normalise working outside work hours.
“Once you give in, there will be a second and third time.”
Another wrote: “It blows my mind that people cannot grasp that if I'm not being paid I will not be working.”
A third added: “Definitely a generation issue but not younger its older.
“Jobs need to get over this idea that they own their employees.”
However, the employer looked to clarify the situation.
The meeting was one that occurs quarterly and that the salaried employee knew about the meeting upon being hired.
Marie added: “Just to be clear, if you're not getting paid to work before 9am, you do not have to work before 9am, do not condone that in the slightest. This is for a salaried employee, once a quarter.”
