Do you think it's appropriate/professional for a boss and an employee to take a vacation together?

[Anonymous]

This happened recently in my place of work. Boss and employee became friends shortly after employee was hired. There are different standards for this employee vs. the 40 something others in the office. This employee is allowed to flex their time when nobody else is among other things. Meanwhile I'm out of sick leave due to various illnesses and this employee has lots of leave left while being out more often than I have this year. The employee was hired after me so it's not a case of having accrued more leave over a longer period of time. I only know because I came across their time sheet (OK, I peeked because I had a feeling this was going on and the time sheets are kept all together in a central public location).

Social media reveals that the employee and boss vacationed together recently. It's not a romantic relationship.

Is this appropriate/professional? I don't think it is but the boss is paranoid about their reputation so it must be ok, although the relationship has been bad for morale in the office because this employee gets preferential treatment.

[Anonymous]

The workplace preference shown to this employee is highly unprofessional. What they do in their private time should not matter, but since it impacts their work relationship, it actually does matter very much.

[Anonymous]

Completely unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

You should make sure HR knows. Perhaps an anon email to them with screen shots of the pictures of them vacationing?

[Anonymous]

Acceptable. People can be friends outside of work.

If the boss is showing preferential treatment, that's unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happened recently in my place of work. Boss and employee became friends shortly after employee was hired. There are different standards for this employee vs. the 40 something others in the office. This employee is allowed to flex their time when nobody else is among other things. Meanwhile I'm out of sick leave due to various illnesses and this employee has lots of leave left while being out more often than I have this year. The employee was hired after me so it's not a case of having accrued more leave over a longer period of time. I only know because I came across their time sheet (OK, I peeked because I had a feeling this was going on and the time sheets are kept all together in a central public location).

Social media reveals that the employee and boss vacationed together recently. It's not a romantic relationship.

Is this appropriate/professional? I don't think it is but the boss is paranoid about their reputation so it must be ok, although the relationship has been bad for morale in the office because this employee gets preferential treatment.

This is equally as inappropriate. In fact, you should probably be fired for that, so raise a fuss at your own peril.

[Anonymous]

This is a perfect question for the job columnist in the Washington Post magazine. I believe it's called "Ask Karla."

[Anonymous]

My boss and a coworker vacationed together, with other people. Our boss has never shown favoritism to this employee (that I'm aware of). I don't think any of us though much of it. Your boss sounds very unprofessional-but the vacation isn't the big problem.

[Anonymous]

So what? Maybe they just have a close relationship. J Edgar Hoover used to vacation with his deputy Clive Tolson. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what? Maybe they just have a close relationship. J Edgar Hoover used to vacation with his deputy Clive Tolson. No big deal.

No, this boss is so unprofessional. I would send an email to HR with screenshots from their vacation together. Send it from a newly created "anonymous" email if you're afraid of reprisal.

[Anonymous]

Nope

Sounds like the two of them are up to something.

[Anonymous]

A few men of various seniorities go hunting together at my office. Makes rest of us feel awkward when they keep talking about it before and after. But that's about it.

[Anonymous]

Is this a male boss and female subordinate? Vacationing w their families or what?

[Anonymous]

You are just as bad by nosing into the time sheets. Grow up!

[Anonymous]

Hold on folks. If this is male/female, then it obviously doesn't look good. If it's a guys ski trip to Colorado, I'm much less concerned.