Hey-Hanging

A new fear of Gen Z in a layoff-driven culture.

There is apparently a new “workplace trend,” perhaps borrowed from the dating apps, where a boss just messages you and says “Hey,” or “Hey, can you call me by EOD?” Instantly your brain goes to layoffs, problems, etc. It’s detailed here.

I am not sure I’d call this a new trend, as I have experienced “hey-hanging” by bosses in probably 2005. In fact, my boy Todd (now known by some as Mr. Tara Lipinski) used to tell me this all the time: “It’s funny how if your grandmother wants to have a chat with you, that’s a really beautiful thing. If your boss asks for a chat, it’s almost always awful.” Would agree.

You usually can tell if a “hey-hang” is about to be a layoff or termination. I got blindsided on this once, so I fixed it the second time. Allow me to explain.