'This is [not] a scheduled absence': Boss's attitude towards barista over the passing of their beloved dog sparks controversy online

Pets are family, they always have been and always will be—but are especially so for the generations of young (and aging) adults who can't afford and wouldn't have the financial security to start a family and have human children of their own—even if they wanted to. The reality is that, for a lot of people, their pets are the closest family and maybe even the only family that they will ever have. They are treasured closely, and the loss of one is always tragic…

With that in mind, members of this online community were horrified to read that this boss's flippant response to the barista who worked for them, telling the barista that the cafe where they worked was too understaffed for them to miss that afternoon, also noting that they were the only key-holder available at that time. If you've worked retail or in the service industry, this type of thing will probably be all too familiar to you, with employers making it near impossible for their "key-holders" to take days off, not wanting to work the opening or closing shifts themselves. Employers act like the "keys" are the keys to nuclear missiles or something and only the chosen few could possibly hold them, meaning that sickness or family emergencies don't hold a candle to unlocking or locking the doors or the business.

Community members shared their thoughts and advice in the comments, admonishing the boss for their attitude and advising the barista on how they should be handling the situation and moving forward. It's ironic, in a really depressing way, how much the boss's response bears resemblance to that famous "we're so understaffed today" meme (at the end of this post) that was popular a few years back.