SINGAPORE: Employees can now attend important virtual meetings in pyjamas having rolled out of bed a mere 15 minutes before, or with their lunch in front of them. Such behaviours are tolerated – embraced, even – as organisations try to strike a balance between the conventions of professionalism and the newfound flexibility of remote work.
But what if your boss was half-naked and getting a massage in the Zoom call? This happened during an AirAsia management meeting last month. The scene would have stayed privy to those in attendance, had CEO Tony Fernandes not posted a photo showing off his topless state for all to see on LinkedIn.
Alongside the photo, he wrote: “Got to love Indonesia and AirAsia culture that I can have a massage and do a management meeting.” Social media reactions were largely critical, questioning the professionalism of his behaviour and the poor judgment of posting it online.
Mr Fernandes, by publishing this on the professional networking site, has implicitly sent the message to his employees and stakeholders that such behaviour is acceptable in the company.