Worker Refusing to Give Boss First-Class Seat Upgrade on Flight Applauded

A man has been applauded online for refusing to give his first class airline seat to his boss.

"Yesterday, my boss and I were flying home from a conference. We were on the same flight, but our original seats were not next to each other. I'm a frequent traveler on this airline and use their credit card, so I often get free upgrades to first class. I got upgraded on this flight and my boss did not," the Redditor wrote.

The employee went on to reveal that after the flight, when the two were collecting their bags, his boss said that she wanted to talk to him about his supposed "lack of respect for protocol" by not delegating his first class seat to her.

"She thinks that because the company paid for my original ticket, and she is more senior than me, I should've given her the first class seat," he wrote. "I think this is absolutely insane. While the company paid for my seat, it's my own personal credit card spending, and frequent travel that earned me the upgraded seat."

Astounded by his boss' comments, the employee took to Reddit to garner the opinion of other internet users on the dispute.

Since it was shared to the social media platform on March 2 by @ScootinDog, the post which can be seen here, has been upvoted by 98 percent of the users who engaged with it and commented on it more than 600 times. Most Redditors who commented slammed the employee's boss for her questionable attitude.

"Someone who is petty enough to insist on some made up "protocol" is going to be petty enough to pull other stuff. Report it," one user wrote.

"The protocol of "complete lack of integrity". Good leaders do not demand that their staff give up personal benefits. They say "good for you, enjoy the upgrade," another Redditor added.

The employee's defiant approach to the situation and his refusal to bow down to his bosses demands can be likened to the new trend in quiet quitting.

What is Quiet Quitting?

The term "quiet quitting" refers to employees who put no more effort into their jobs than absolutely necessary. It first gained traction in 2020, after being used in multiple TikTok videos.

Izzy Galicia, president of the business consultancy firm Incito Consulting Group, told Newsweek that while quiet quitting might appear like a bright new horizon in the professional world, it could do more harm than good.

"Quiet quitting is another way of describing an employee who is doing the minimum at work and putting in very little effort," she said. "The pros for the employee is that they keep collecting a paycheck while at the same time using very little of their own time throughout the workday. Less work for the same pay essentially."

According to Galicia the downsides to quiet quitting include the company now having an unproductive employee who isn't contributing to the daily tasks and goals the company has set out from the beginning, and the company building a reputation externally of not being an exciting place to work.

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