Woman Asks Her Boss To Move To 80% Time, He Says “No”

The difference between a good boss and a bad one is the same as with any other colleague—the best of the best go the extra mile to ensure that their employees are supported and in the best possible position to showcase their talents and skills.

Canadian Aaron Genest, who is the president of SaskTech and works at Siemens Digital Industries, told one of her employees “no” when she asked if he could move her to 80 percent time. But before you rush ahead and judge, keep in mind that it’s a story with a twist. Kick back with a mug of tea, read through Genest’s tweets, and then let us know what you thought of the situation, dear Pandas!

When a female employee asked her boss if she could more to 80 percent time, he refused. But it’s a story with a wholesome twist

Image credits: Nenad Stojkovic (not the actual photo)

Image credits: AaronGenest

Like some internet users admitted on Twitter and on Imgur, they totally weren’t expecting Genest to pull a good old switcheroo and explain the wholesome reason why he refused to reduce his employee’s working hours. He didn’t want his colleague’s career to suffer just because she’ll be spending more time at home taking care of the family.

According to the Harvard Business Review’s article from September 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic risks “sending into reverse” the progress toward greater gender equality achieved over the past 5 years. The HBR writes that women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable to the coronavirus crisis than men’s.

“Women make up 39% of global employment but account for 54% of overall job losses as of May 2020. At the same time, the burden of unpaid care, which has risen in the pandemic, falls disproportionately on women,” the article details the unequal risk and burden that female employees are facing.

Meanwhile, Forbes writes: “Women have had to take on the lion’s share of extra childcare and education for their families, as a result of continuing Covid challenges like school closures, remote learning, and limited daycare operations.”

With his post gaining popularity both on Twitter and outside of it, Genest used the opportunity to announce that Siemens is looking for a new software developer in Saskatoon, Canada. So if you live nearby, you’ve got the qualifications, and you want to work with an obviously caring team, go drop them a line and send them your CV. You never know, Genest’s next wholesome Twitter post could be about you.

When not working in the tech world, Genest loves spending time with his family. What’s more, he’s got a variety of interests, from music and gaming to cycling. He’s also passionate about helping people get “tech jobs where they’re needed,” according to his Twitter bio.