Boss gets offended over employee's 'Hey' on WhatsApp, calls it unprofessional, netizens react

New Delhi: We've all had bosses who were unreasonable beyond belief at some point in our lives. They say things that are absolutely nonsensical and occasionally demand respect when they don't deserve it. When someone asks for respect, though, all of that is lost.

That's what happened to a worker who revealed a WhatsApp discussion he had with his boss.A Reddit user recently uploaded a screenshot of his WhatsApp conversation with his boss, and the post has now gone viral. Shreyas, a Reddit member, was warned for saying "hello" to his boss on WhatsApp message, according to the screenshot.

When Shreyas said 'hello' to the boss, the superior was offended and thought the greeting was 'unprofessional.' It seems that there was either a linguistic barrier or an ego issue.

“Hi Shreyas, my name is Sandeep,” the boss says after texting to ask a question. “Please don’t [use] the word ‘hey.’ It’s offensive for me. If you can’t remember my name, simply use ‘Hi.'”

The boss then asked Shreyas not to use certain phrases in a professional setting, like "dude, man chap, and chick." Unless addressing a large gathering, he considered the phrase "hello" to be unprofessional.

In his defense, Shreyas said, “Well, considering that we are having a conversation over WhatsApp and not over LinkedIn or a mail chain. I'm just being casual as you are texting me on my personal number. And coming to being professional I'm not the one being offended.”

In response, the CEO stated that WhatsApp is "no longer a personal area." He stated that the messenger is used for economic purposes and added, "I am not forcing my philosophy on you." If you grasp it, great; if not, you will sooner or later."

The post has ignited a debate about professional norms since it was shared online. Several internet users voiced their opinions on the matter. The post received over 53.5K upvotes and 6,600 comments.

A user said, “Seriously. “Hey” especially with a colleague/team member with whom you've had ongoing conversations with is more than acceptable, almost preferable, to keep the convo as open as possible.”

"I'd be calling him 'chap' in every communication," another said. A third user stated that they would write, "'Should I be permitted to greet the warmest welcome to this right and honourable person and extend my compliments to his spouse and close and more distant family and circle of acquaintances, might all their livestock breed well" and such nonsense. Fourth wrote, "I appreciate how unprofessional but emojis are fine."