'To hell with the company': Gen Z employee goes on Vietnam trip despite manager cancelling leave

Gen Z employee refuses last-minute leave cancellation. (AI-generated representative image)

Workplace boundaries and personal time have always been important, but they are getting more attention today. Stories of Gen Z employees standing firm on their leave plans often spark debates about management and work culture. A recent case has gone viral on social media, bringing these issues into the spotlight.

A video shared by Startupro.in on LinkedIn shows Simran, a young employee, refusing to cancel her long-planned trip to Vietnam despite a last-minute request from her manager for an urgent project. The clip has quickly gone viral, highlighting how Gen Z handles pressure and stand for personal boundaries.

In the video, the girl explains that she had informed her manager about her travel plans well in advance. At that time, there were no objections. However, on the day of her departure, she received a message in the office group stating that her leave was cancelled and she was needed for an urgent project. This left her frustrated.

Speaking from the Delhi airport, she explained, “I don’t earn because I love work, but because I want to travel and enjoy my freedom. I only listen to my family members. What can you (the boss) do? At best, you can escalate it. Do it. I can find a new job. You are a manager, behave like a manager.”

She further added, “I don’t care. I am going. I will open my laptop only after 10 days. To hell with the company or the project.”

The video has been widely shared across social media, with many users supporting her stance. Many praised her for setting boundaries and protecting personal time, while others questioned whether her leave had been formally approved.

One user commented, “Last-minute cancellation of leaves is the bad management of her manager. Surely this is one thing we can learn from Gen-Z that they know how to set boundaries and priorities.”

Another wrote, “This is a big issue people are facing nowadays. Thankfully, my reporting managers, especially those I have closely worked with, were supportive, disciplined & in fact, encouraged me to take leave. They never disturbed my off time with messages or calls... Only one company tried to create a mess, but that disappeared! And also when it comes to our personal decisions, only and only permission we need is from our family. Rest can recommend, suggest, but can't dictate....! Respect for personal boundaries is non‑negotiable within professional space.”

Some users offered a broader perspective, suggesting the issue was not just about Gen Z versus management but also about workplace planning. One user explained, “This isn’t really a Gen-Z vs Manager debate. It’s a planning and accountability problem. If leave was approved weeks earlier, revoking it at the airport reflects poor contingency planning, not urgency. True emergencies exist, but if a project collapses because one person takes planned leave, that’s a system design failure, not an employee failure. At the same time, work isn’t always predictable. Critical roles come with responsibility, and professionals at every level must understand the impact of their absence during sensitive phases. The real issue is trust. Employees lose trust when personal commitments are treated as optional. Organisations lose trust when business continuity isn’t respected.”

Others reflected on generational differences in the workplace. One comment read, “Nowadays, every boss kind of a manager's thought process, Gen Z is ‘difficult’, but reality is not. They’re simply unwilling to normalise what previous generations tolerated. Every generation works hard. But this generation refuses to glorify burnout.”

Some users also reminded viewers about professionalism. The user explained, “Cancellation of leave at the last minute is wrong. But this video and the tone of the employee are equally wrong. Two wrongs don't make it right anyway. Professionalism is paramount, especially for someone who is starting her career.”

Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content shared on social media. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.