What happens if one of your employees asks you for permission to take leave, to be with their terminally-ill parents or child one last time? An empathetic leader would be expected to approve it and manage the team’s workload.

 

This was not, however, the case for a luxury hotel employee in Khao Yai, whose story went viral within a day.

 

What really happened?

 

A hotel employee, named Ploy, sent a text message asking her immediate supervisor, known as Kob, to extend her leave in order to take care of her ailing mother. Her request was denied.

 

Even worse, she was told to return to work as soon as possible, which meant having to drive for hours, from her home province of Buri Ram back to Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

Fewer than 15 minutes later, Ploy’s mother died. So, she told Kob that she needed to take leave.

 

“So you’re going to resign?” her immediate supervisor responded. “Then tender your resignation letter when you’re back.”

 

The employee posted a screengrab of her chat exchange, which quickly sparked outrage on social media. So far, the post prompted more than 202,000 reactions, mostly angry faces, and 120,000 shares on Facebook.

 

Thousands of netizens expressed their sympathy for the employee, while also criticising her supervisor’s heartless actions. Some of them even went as far as exposing the supervisor’s identity on X (Twitter) and digging up her past toxic behaviour, pushing the hashtag #PeeKob (#พี่กบ) to among the top trending hashtags.

 

Subsequently, the Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort issued a statement yesterday (Thursday), claiming that they have suspended the immediate supervisor as they continue their investigation into their conduct and that they sympathise with and stand by the employee who lost her mother.

 

Despite this, the hotel’s official Facebook page was flooded with negative comments, with many of them demanding a thorough investigation over the incident, which prompted its page admin to turn off its comments section. The hotel also gained one-star reviews, which affected 65 hotels, located in other countries, in the same hotel chain.

 

Thailand’s Labour Minister, Suchart Chomklin, has also ordered the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to investigate the case. Meanwhile, the Labour Protection and Welfare Office in Nakhon Ratchasima province has ordered the employer to explain the case on August 21st, when they will also look into the hotel’s policies for staff leave.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/toxic-boss-in-khao-yai-hotel-where-is-the-empathy/

 

OPINION by Nad Bunnag, Thai PBS World

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-08-19

 

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Big problem in Thailand is the lack of staff training, it's easy to read some of the reviews about that hotel, and others, 

Glad to hear the hotel was called out by name. Here, in a land obsessed with the weak practice of face, sometimes only humiliation and shame can prompt a correct and moral course of action. Call em out! 

I'm pretty sure the hotel will tell 'Kob' to hop it ..... 

Sending a message asking for a leave is definitely not the right approach. A call and a vocal explanation might have given the situation a different outcome. But Thais are  obsessed with using Line, Messenger, etc. for everything. 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The hotel also gained one-star reviews, which affected 65 hotels, located in other countries, in the same hotel chain.

That's gonna really hurt... the offending employee might be asked to send in their resignation.

In my mind, this is one of those cases that really only has one outcome - you, the employer, approve it …. 

true, maybe the employee didn’t have the necessary time “banked” to take leave (if they operate on that type of system), perhaps the hotel was always short-staffed… there could be lots of good, solid, factually verifiable circumstances for a denial.

 

But… in the court of public opinion, there’s only one possible and acceptable answer - yes. 

 

The reality is that for cases like this (i am assuming it is as presented) you just can’t say no.. even if it leaves you short staffed… even if the employee didn’t follow all of the request protocols or didn’t have the necessary time banked/earned… you just can’t say no to a request to be with a dying parent, spouse or child… you just can’t.

 

Yes, I think it’s the morally right thing to do - to say yes.. but EVEN IF someone thought otherwise, even if they had good cause… the optics in saying no, would be so horrendously bad that you just can’t say no. 

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Big problem in Thailand is the lack of staff training

Agree but I reckon a bigger problem is staff and at times their lazy attitude, lack of commitment and job dedication. 

 

I've known my gf for 12 months. 

She's worked for an electronics factory, Makro, Tesco, Pet supermarket and now she's got a new job make up factory. 

She's always taking time off work for this and that. 

If I was her boss, I'd be ripping my hair out. 

 

It wasn't mentioned the work history of the woman that was refused leave, she may have a work history similar to my gf, her employer is fed up 

Edited August 19, 20232 yr by SAFETY FIRST

3 hours ago, Deli said:

Sending a message asking for a leave is definitely not the right approach. A call and a vocal explanation might have given the situation a different outcome. But Thais are  obsessed with using Line, Messenger, etc. for everything. 

Hm,...But it leaves a written trace of the event and can not be denied !!

5 hours ago, Deli said:

Sending a message asking for a leave is definitely not the right approach. A call and a vocal explanation might have given the situation a different outcome. But Thais are  obsessed with using Line, Messenger, etc. for everything. 

Sometimes you need things in writing... Just sayin'

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort

Will not be staying in this place for the next few years. 

4 hours ago, new2here said:

In my mind, this is one of those cases that really only has one outcome - you, the employer, approve it …. 

true, maybe the employee didn’t have the necessary time “banked” to take leave (if they operate on that type of system), perhaps the hotel was always short-staffed… there could be lots of good, solid, factually verifiable circumstances for a denial.

 

But… in the court of public opinion, there’s only one possible and acceptable answer - yes. 

 

The reality is that for cases like this (i am assuming it is as presented) you just can’t say no.. even if it leaves you short staffed… even if the employee didn’t follow all of the request protocols or didn’t have the necessary time banked/earned… you just can’t say no to a request to be with a dying parent, spouse or child… you just can’t.

 

Yes, I think it’s the morally right thing to do - to say yes.. but EVEN IF someone thought otherwise, even if they had good cause… the optics in saying no, would be so horrendously bad that you just can’t say no. 

Surely just as it should be?  Denying a child access to their soon to be/ recently departed parent should not be on the whims of a corporate supervisor.  Such is a life changing moment and profit shouldn't hold sway.

An atmosphere of fear and despair in that work place obviously.

Cold and Heartless from the Supervisor make her face the Mourning staff member and tell her face to face why she wanted to sack her.

On 8/19/2023 at 4:49 PM, off road pat said:

Hm,...But it leaves a written trace of the event and can not be denied !!

I would say send the message immediately followed by a phone call of explanation!! But as said here by many we dont know all the facts, she may have a reputation for taking time off or the Hotel supervisor could be a thoughtless person!!