Big boss is away on a very fancy sailing holiday

[Vallies]

We work for a school trust. The CEO is on her holidays, a very luxury sailing trip in some beautiful places, good for her, but for some reason she's sending regular photos to our work WhatsApp group, the one that's generally only used to wish people Happy Birthday, warn about traffic issues on the route in or say welcome/goodbye when people come and go.

No one else has shared holiday pics all summer. The first message said somehting like for those who can't wait until we get back...

Is is me or is this very odd and quite tone deaf?

Tbh I don’t look closely at holiday pics. I just get the gist that they are enjoying themselves and make the right sort of noises. I doubt they want to see a photo of me drinking tea and watching tV with the cat, so I don’t reciprocate!

Has she confused her WA groups? Our CEO of our education trust is also female and exceptionally well paid compared to us minions. I am intrigued but would say that it is unprofessional to be posting holiday pics so do wonder if it is genuine confusion (and too much wine).

It's not always a choice though is it?. A certain type of upbringing, confidence, a certain type of personality and a bit of luck is what determines these things IME.

It's crass. I also wonder if she's accidentally posting to the wrong group.

I would be posting a photo of myself eating chips on a bench in front of the local multi storey car park in the rain and caption it with "Living the dream, thanks to my massive salary from X Academy!"

Yes, it’s crass, and no I wouldn’t ever dream of doing that. I would mute the chat op.

Most won't care I'm poor and I love seeing people's holiday photos there are some beautiful places in the world, most i will never get to see so its nice to see plus i love anything happy to much misery in the world

Incredibly tone deaf and inappropriate, there are a lot of people being very obtuse on this thread. Or are people genuinely this socially unaware?

While they're getting rid of good experienced teachers, and schools are as they are, I don't think people want to be reminded that their taxes are paying for her holidays, instead of to help teacher retention.
She is not a more successful woman that the people who really make a difference to our kids (couldn't do your job, but admire all you teachers).

I think it's weird , showing off , unprofessional and boring . Even before social media , etc. other people's holiday snaps were considered a joke as no one else cares. And for a CEO to use a school WhatsApp is such bad taste .

As much as anything it's just really poor leadership and a lack of professional boundaries.
Even if she was caravanning in the rain in Skegness she shouldn't be spamming colleagues all the time with holiday photos.

I’d assume it’s probably a mistake. Otherwise yes, it’s crass behaviour.

Hear hear!

A CEO will have a substantial salary with a life style to match
I wouldn’t even give it a 2nd thought

🤢

I think the power imbalance is really the crux of it. It’s not two mates sharing holiday snaps as equals, it’s the person who decides pay rises, promotions and job security choosing to broadcast her wealth

It’s absolutely tone deaf. Someone struggling to cover petrol for the school run really doesn’t need to see the CEO’s business class seat.

To the posters saying OP just sounds jealous, I don’t think that’s fair at all and it’s just a lazy way of dismissing a legitimate concern. This isn’t about begrudging anyone a nice holiday, it’s about judgement and professional boundaries. A work WhatsApp exists for work; using it to showcase personal wealth to a mixed-income staff body isn’t envy-baiting on OP’s part, it’s a legitimate point about how leaders should conduct themselves in professional spaces, especially in a sector like education where empathy and modelling good judgement matter. She’s done neither here.

Give over - the daft CEO should not be sharing photos of her holiday on a work Whatsapp. Full stop.

It is inappropriate, and yes, it's tone deaf. Plus maybe none of her staff give a shit.

@Onlyonesetoffootprints exactly articulates what I would have tried to say if I was properly awake! Thank you

Do they like it, though? Or are they just playing along… the unimaginative ‘work hard play hard’ trope is normally only used by people who act like tone deaf dicks, leaders. I bet you it’s an annual joke ‘oh, god, she’s made a PowerPoint of her holiday snaps again…’ on behalf of your long suffering volunteers - Don’t. Do. It. Ever. Again.

I can see your point op. We have similar (while announcing no miniscule payrises this year!) and it is rather tone deaf.

Oh well, such is life eh?

I’m a low paid admin worker but it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest as husband has a really good job so we would do a fantastic holiday regardless of my pittance of a wage. People at work would be the last thing on my mind though.