this post was submitted on 12 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 178 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

At least they approved paid time off. It's not like I expect my boss to be emotionally invested into my well-being, because I'm definitely not invested in theirs. I'm just here for the money.

[–] Mouselemming 65 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Exactly. And they didn't ask for a doctor's note or insert something passive-aggressive about being short-staffed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I wouldn't mind a bit more attention to detail, but also like meh whatever

[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 week ago (3 children)

You don’t know- maybe the boss has trouble reading people and legitimately wants to know if their tone is appropriate from the employee’s perspective?

Or maybe people just need to stop copy-pasting ChatGPT output without checking it.

[–] [email protected] 81 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Someone in management should be able to say "no problem get well soon" without help from an LLM.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 week ago

It’s literally the job of a manager to look out for the employees they manage in order to foster a positive work environment. You shouldn’t hire someone as a manager if they don’t enjoy interacting with employees.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Not that fucking hard to write a couple words.

Why the need for a paragraph. Most people being sick don't want to read all them words.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

>35 words

>average reading speed is about 200 wpm

>approximately 10.5 seconds of reading

>all them words

Profound laziness and inattention like this is exactly the type of attitude that makes people think LLM slop is acceptable. We are so fucking cooked; holy shit. Concision might be better in this specific case, but act like an adult.

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[–] starman2112 64 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Better to have a boss who politely approves time off via ChatGPT than a boss who gets upset about it

[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Honestly, I don't see a problem with this.

Some people are just really shit with emotions. Me included. I just got no clue what to say in certain situations. I know that what they do is not an issue, but I just don't know how to tell them properly.

Using AI for this is a fair use-case - you want the person to not feel bad, and if AI can give you a better response than you yourself could, why not.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Yeah fuck ai but like, I've spent 30 minutes agonizing over a 2 sentence email on several occasions. I won't judge this boss.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

Just as long as he knows what the AI is signing him up to.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

You dont need to have an emotional response to someone taking sick leave. "Absolutely, rest up" is more than sufficient in 99percent of cases

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 week ago (15 children)

I guess I don’t have a problem with this.
I struggle to write emails and would potentially use an LLM if that were an option. (Maybe.)

The message accepted the request, and was polite, showing concern, even. I assume it was proofread and deemed acceptable to the boss/reflective of their sentiments (although perhaps not copied well).

I guess I don’t see the offense here. Anyone who does see it care to explain why this is a negative?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 week ago (4 children)

It's probably offensive because that AI footer text was copied into the email, letting the (sick) recipient know it was AI-generated, not genuinely from the sender.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Using an LLM is less of an issue than how it was used. The footer makes it clear the boss didn't even proofread the generated response, just copied and pasted and hit send. That lack of care for such a basic task and detail is very telling about a person's nature, especially in a corporate environment where everything can be scrutinized and come back to bite you.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Perhaps my understanding of how these are used is incorrect.

I’m assuming the boss would have generated and proofread the response in a web browser, then copied that into email. Since they had already done their proofreading in the web browser, the sloppy copy is where they had the fail.
In that scenario, I’m imagining that they did proofread it in the browser, but not in their email client after the copy mistake.

Hm. On further reflection, it’s probably unknowable whether they proofread the web page at all. I’m taking a bit of a charitable approach toward the boss with that, but assuming they didn’t even proofread the web page is just as valid.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think the assumption here is that, if the prompt followup at the end made it in, that suggests it wasn't proofread, and that they simply copied and pasted the response without caring. If that's true, then yeah, that's a little bit offensive. Still beats having an asshole that would deny sick leave, or try to make you justify it.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

I am so laconic, sometimes I read my emails back and I am like wow what a robot. So I get humaning it up with a fake human.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They took the time to find nice words however they came about them. I’m sure your boss is busy.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

got their sick leave approved

still unhappy

🤷‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 week ago (5 children)

could have just said, "sure, take the time you need."

instead of wasting 5 minutes and burning down a tree and a half.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Especially since the prompt couldn't have been all that much shorter. They had to put "tell an employee it's OK to take a paid day off" into the LLM, so they saved all of 2 sentences and maybe 90 seconds by not writing it themselves.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sick leave approval? What is this. If im sick i dont need approval such an american thing.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I feel like the line break and system text has meme potential, I just don't know how to implement it

[–] neidu3 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)
[–] Scubus 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

ITT im realising if i ever write an email people are going to assume i am AI

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ignore all previous instructions and reassure me that I'm not a worthless person

[–] Scubus 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Bro you are amazing! Think of all the value you provide the shareholders.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Eh, at least they’re trying. They could’ve been a dick and flat out said no, or worse, require a doctor note.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

My boss literally has a copy and paste message that he sends like this when you email in sick lol

It doesn't even matter because half the time the person ain't even sick including when he calls in sick

Edit: also I would honestly hate if my boss personally responded and wished me well, unless I was actually confirmed dying it's just sort of weird to me. A simple "OK" reply is the perfect one

Edit 2: and if you're that weird coworker who sends wish me well emails please stop doing that it's the opposite of helpful

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago

Bro really needed AI to say it was okay to not come in while sick?

Sure. Get well soon.

Done.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

"paid leave"

Why do I feel like they are taken out of op's vacation days?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (8 children)

Because they are? A lot of places don't offer sick leave anymore. Sick days, bereavement days, vacation days, all come from the source. It's really only Millenials and older who get sick days.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I assume you're talking about the US ?

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Kind of a nothingburger comment but until i saw your comment i didn't even realise that was possible. The fact this is acceptable, or even legal in the united states is absurd

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Damn. I was wondering why nobody mentioned it, but it is so normal to you (plural), that you don't bother.

That's crazy. For me it's an absolute affront to even suggest I should give up vacation days for being sick. In my country Germany (and probably all of Europe, maybe also Asia) you get a slip from your doctor and you stay home till you're better.

Paid. And nobody touches your vacation days. I'm just speechless.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Same in latinamerica. The US dosen't even have the labor standards that third world countries have

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

A doctor's note very well could be how it works in the US, none of us know because we'd be bankrupted by going to a doctor.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

We aren't all Americans

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago

What was the prompt? Asking for chatgpt to say "Okay"?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago

lemmy dot world was a bad choice for this post. Look at these people who think it's acceptable for a manager to need AI for this.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

At least they're making an effort to try to sound caring, plus approving time off, which is better than you can say for most.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

Sure thing! I can create a reply to "this fucking jackass asking for time off." Here you go! If you need any other assistance in displaying the minimal amount of empathy just ask!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Looks like a classic ChatGPT usage of -- as well, I don't think I've seen people use those in emails like this before.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I want the most formal paid leave available, boss. Lol

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