Tragic news at the workplace can trigger a range of emotions, and heartlessness isn't one of them.
One employee was so dumbfounded by her project manager's response to news of a death among her coworkers, that she couldn't help but laugh while recalling the shocking incident.
A woman named Anna, a.k.a. @annamoylanchi, posted a video explaining how heartless her project manager was during a call with the work team after hearing that a coworker just passed away.
"I was just on a call and a person on the call goes, ''I need to just say something quickly at the end,'" said Anna, and momentarily paused trying to collect herself.
She resumed after telling viewers she was "trying not to laugh."
"She goes, 'I would like to share that someone on the team...that we work with, has just passed,'" Anna continued.
The TikToker, barely able to hold it together still, said the immediate reaction was silence. However, it didn't last long.
Anna recalled:
"And it was like really quiet on the call, and everyone's like really sad, obviously."
"And then, it was quiet for one second, the project manager goes, 'okay so now let's move on with...the action items.'"
Because, priorities?
Here's Anna's TikTok story.
Anna was beside herself over her project manager's apparent lack of empathy, and prioritizing of work obligations under bleak circumstances.
"Sorry I can't help but laugh," said Anna, and said of her project manager:
"But she was like, 'OK so ... let's make sure your action items' figured out and then like let me know if anyone else needs anything.'"
Anna, who needed a time out and was walking outside near a cluster of buildings while filming, added:
"Someone has passed and they literally gave a minute of, a second of silence and was like 'back to work.'"
"On that note I'm taking a long lunch."
People commented on the callousness of certain companies that could care less about their employees.
@annamoylanchi/TikTok
@annamoylanchi/TikTok
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@annamoylanchi/TikTok
Users noted how workers should be looking out for themselves because their superiors certainly weren't acknowledging them as people.
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@annamoylanchi/TikTok
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@annamoylanchi/TikTok
Users shared contrasting examples of companies that responded to sad news by offering grieving protocols.
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@annamoylanchi/TikTok
@annamoylanchi/TikTok
@annamoylanchi/TikTok
The dismissive reaction to news of an employee's death was understandably shocking for our TikToker, given that many companies offer employees some time and space to process the grief of one of their own in the workplace.
According to the website for Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), "Some co-workers might need time off…while others may want to talk about their feelings."
"Employers often invite a grief counselor in to help employees explore their emotions. Individual counseling sessions may be available via an employee assistance program."
Other options SHRM suggested included matching employees' donations to a cause in the deceased honor, planting a tree, or allowing time off for employees to attend a funeral and offering virtual memorials for remote employees.
At the very least in Anna's situation, her project manager could have handled the somber news with more empathy and intelligence.
One TikToker noted, "As a PM, I can confirm that PM is not good at their job."
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