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Gen Z employee's one-line leave email to boss divides Indian social media! Here's what happened

An investor shared on X how a Gen Z employee shot him an email saying he would be taking a day off from work; the way the leave letter was constructed caused a social media debate

The viral 'Gen Z' leave letter that has kicked up a social media debate | X

Google "how to write leave application" and you will find almost all top results are at least three paragraphs long. Addressing your employer with respect, you must explain the circumstance that stops you from reaching work. If needed, elaborate on the situation before officially seeking a day off or asking his/her permission -- depending on the situation and work culture. Most results would remind you of the importance of the Subject line and the mandatory "Yours sincerely" at the bottom.

Turns out, the time-tested format of leave-seeking is gone. The GenZ, it seems, has no time to spend on such formalities and would like to come straight to the point. A one-line-long leave application was mailed by a young employee to his boss and kicked up a conversation on the Indian social media circle. Here's what happened.

On Tuesday, Siddharth Shah, who identifies himself as an investor, shared on X (formerly Twitter) an official leave application that was forwarded by a young colleague. The content, however, was unconventional to be called an official one due to the way it was constructed. Here is what the screenshot of the mail read: “Hi Siddharth, I will be on leave on 8th November 2024. Bye.” "Leave on 8th Nov" said the subject line while there was no effort to explain why the applicant needed to take a day off. 

Siddharth claimed it was sent by one of his younger colleagues. “How my Gen Z team get its leaves approved,” he jotted while sharing the screenshot of the Gmail. The population born in the period between 1997 and 2012 is called Generation Z "Gen Z." Sources ranging from Merriam-Webster and Oxford to the Urban Dictionary now include this name for the generation that follows Millennials, and Google Trends data show that “Generation Z” is far outpacing other names in people’s searches for information. While there is no scientific process for deciding when a name has stuck, the momentum is clearly behind Gen Z, the Pew Research Centre said in a report.

The X post was viewed by over 2.2 million people during the time of compiling this report. 

While some netizens backed the way it was written, others cried foul over the lack of professionalism in the language. The primary point of the leave application is to let the team know of somebody's absence. It is not about making a request to your boss or seniors, they argued. The straightforward email sent by the youngster fulfilled this objective and hence it was alright, they added. Meanwhile, the other faction maintained that it was a basic etiquette to keep everyone involved in the loop of your absence.