I’m too texty for this post

I must admit. When I started reading “horror stories” about how Gen-Y just doesn’t get it, I was offended and appalled. After all, my own work ethic (and that of my similarly aged friends) is stellar and I have a (tenuous) claim to the millennial camp. However, lately I may have to eat my own words. In blog posts, chat rooms, and conversations over coffee, I am hearing more and more horror stories of my own. And they aren’t coming from geezers, they’re coming from my peers.

Necessary disclosures:

1) In 2009, I will turn 30. If I ever argued vehemently for the right to be called a millennial, after July, it will just seem silly. (Good time to start bashing them then!)

2)I have oodles and oodles of children, which is why I skew “more responsible” than some in my generation.

Okay, so the first situation is this:

Employee calls in sick, notifying the receptionist, who neglects to tell the employee’s direct supervisor. Employee is told to always call-in to a direct supervisor. Two weeks later, employee texts her direct supervisor at 11 pm the night before she is planning to call in sick. The employer, being a gentleman slightly more advanced in his years, never receives the text. This employee was surprised when she was “written up”and placed responsibility for the original absence on the receptionist. Age:26

Second situation:

Assistant tells virtually everyone on her team that she will be taking days off in the coming weeks but is unsure which days these might be. When she discovers that she needs the days off, she texts her immediate supervisor (who knew nothing of this, although the remainder of the team DID) the night before, dispensing with the normal office protocol of filling out a time off request. She does not come in for a week. Age: 23

What do you think of these situations? Is this responsible behavior? Can it be chalked up to age, inexperience?

Would it change your answer if you knew that a VP of the company frequently texts his requests when out of the office? Why? Why not?

This thread posits that attendance policies are becoming a moot point. Yeah, we all know ROWE would rule but how to make that happen overnight?

Discuss amongst yourselves. Seriously, I need answers!

(Just so you know I expect to get a fair bit of vehemence in linking irresponsible texting to Gen Y. It’s cool. Just remember, I am practically Gen Y myself.)

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