Manager lets employees take same day PTO, take naps, and watch TikToks: 'His staff shows up for him because he shows up for them'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 4, 2026 3:00 PM EST

This manager is buying his employee's loyalty, and it's clearly benefitting everyone. 

A great manager has enough faith in their employees that they can avoid micromanaging. Only a supervisor who doubts their employees' talents ends up micromanaging them, and it almost always brings about poor results. They become the type of manager who never lets their team go un-active on Teams, or who wants to be notified every time they use the restroom or take a snack break. It's inundating the manager with meaningless messages, all while treating the employees like children. 

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    Employee takes a nap at desk with feet up.
    via Getty Images

    Employee takes a nap at desk with feet up. 

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Truly great managers take a risk: they trust their employees to do their work with initiative and proactive thinking. They trust these workers to do what needs to be done each day without being nagged about it. And managers like this are also hard to come by. 

    That's why when workers do find a manager that they love, they tend to stick with that job for a long while. They're being productive, and it feels good! They can take care of themselves — maybe ducking out to a doctor appointment, or dropping their kid off to soccer practice — without feeling the shame of a manager's scolding. They're living their lives and being their best selves. What more could an employee want? 

    This person described an “interesting” manager they met recently, detailing how a typical workday under his supervision tends to go. See what you think! 

  • 02
    I recently met an interesting manager. He lets his staff use their PTO and sick time.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 03
    He doesn't need much explanation ―no guilt, no essays, no begging.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 04
    They use a shared calendar. They put their own time off in. He doesn't care if it's same-day.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 05
    The only rule is: as long as the office is covered, take your time. They do not get paid enough for him to be
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 06
    micromanaging who takes a nap or goes to a dentist appointment.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 07
    Because of that, his retention is amazing. His staff shows up for him because he shows up for them.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 08
    Another thing, if you're getting your work done and hitting your deadlines, he doesn't care if he
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 09
    Relaxed employee works from hammock over water in bright sunlight.
    via Molly the Cat

    Relaxed employee works from hammock over water in bright sunlight.

  • 10
    walks past your office and you're watching TikToks or texting in between.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 11

    We need more managers like this!

    He says he is not the phone police. Do your job and handle your business.
    via Simon_Ingari

    Please, don't be the manager who dislikes phones. A phone is such a multitool that it's a shame to not use it. Plus, a lot of people do actual work from their phones. We have apps, email, Slack, Teams, Google Meet! We can do all this from our small screens. The busy professional on the go knows this, but it's also just convenient even for someone sitting at their desk to switch from the computer to the phone every now and then. No one wants to justify their phone time to a nosy manager. This boss just makes it easy for his workers by having a relaxed attitude about it. 

  • 12
    productive until it's time to go. He doesn't have the time or energy to invent
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 13

    When you're done for the day, that's your time to scroll!

    Also, please don't come to him announcing you're "done for the day." If you finish early, just look
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 14
    busywork when it's almost 5 p.m.
    via Simon_Ingari
  • 15
    Dave Switzer @profswitzer So basically how things used to be before about 20 years ago.
    via profswitzer
  • 16
    @Twaddlefife This was how I managed. Its objectively the best approach, always has the best outcome in both employee performance and retention.
    via Twaddlefife
  • 17
    Cookie JollyToes @CookieJollytoes This is how my last manager operated. He was an absolute gem of a human, and after the company laid him off the rest of our team either quit or was also laid off. Quite the unicorn.
    via CookieJollytoes
  • 18
    K @kwhite0221 My manager is like this. No one has left in almost 5 years.
    via kwhite0221
  • 19
    Manager looks at relaxed employee on comfy chair.
    via Getty Images

    Manager looks at relaxed employee on comfy chair.

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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