Disgruntled ex-employee's fury after boss sends him an outrageous text request

Daily Mail​

19 hours ago

A fired employee has sparked a humorous debate after exposing a shameless request from his former boss.
The text message seemed genuine and polite, however it has transpired that this particular manager was asking the man to come back and train his own replacement just days after being let go.
In a now-viral TikTok video, British career expert Ben Askins shared the shocking text message exchange that left thousands of viewers gobsmacked, with many dubbing the boss's request 'delusional' and 'ridiculous.'
The clip, which has amassed more than 175,000 views, shows the boss pleading with the sacked staffer to return and train the new hire on the company's ticketing system.
Outrageously, he was offering nothing more than a coffee in exchange.
'This boss was really pushing his luck!' Ben captioned the video. 'Situations like this can be easily avoided,' after he too seemed shocked by the lack of regard the boss had for the ex-worker.
'Hey, I know this probably isn't the best time to ask, but we're struggling with the new ticketing process. Is there any chance you could come in and run the new guy through it?' the employer messaged over text.
To which the disgruntled ex-employee clapped back: 'Are you having a laugh? You fired me last week?'
Lacking any regard for their feelings the employee replied: 'I know, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It shouldn't take you long. I know this is awkward, I promise you will get a coffee for the favour.'
In the video, Ben chimed in adding his own opinion on the matter, joking that a mere coffee for his time was 'quite alright, then,' as he laughed.
Surprisingly, the ex-employee replied with an olive branch to help, but felt remuneration was only fair for his time: 'I will do it. But I want it to be a remote tutorial, and I will charge you for half a day.'
'Remote is fine, but half a day's pay? This will only take a few minutes?' the employer replied, clearly surprised at the request.
'That is the deal.'
Begrudgingly his terms were met, but not without a small dig at his audaciousness of actually being remunerated for his time and effort: 'Fine, but I am disappointed this is the way you are playing this,' the boss replied.
Ben, who frequently posts career advice and work-related scenarios, was stunned by the entitlement on display.
'Firstly, let's be very clear,' he said. He does not have to do this favour. So the fact that he's charging is completely okay.
'He's giving up his time. He really doesn't have to do it, so the idea that this boss doesn't think he should pay is absolutely ridiculous.'
He continued by saying that the text exchanges was 'a good example of why companies need proper training guides and onboarding processes - so you don't end up in situations like this.'
Hundreds of Ben's viewers weighed in on the text exchange too, and they didn't hold back.
The comments under the video lit up with support for the ex-employee, with many saying he should've asked for far more than just half a day's pay.
'Half a day? I'd charge them my consultancy fee and it would be astronomical,' one user wrote.
'I wouldn't even answer the message,' said another.
'At this point he's not under contract, he's a consultant. He can charge what he wants.'
'I'd reply two words and the second word would be 'off,' joked one.
'Half a days pay? He doesn't work there no more so his days pay is zero and half of 0 is 0.'
While some users said they would've hung up or blocked the boss altogether, others applauded the ex-employee's cool-headed professionalism, particularly for negotiating remote work and payment.
The viral saga has become a cautionary tale for workers everywhere, especially in industries where employees are often expected to go above and beyond, even after being let go, it seems.