Worker Catches Boss Scrolling Through Instagram During Performance Review
What would have happened if the roles were reversed?
@lanah_jones / TikTok When it comes to inappropriate times to be on social media, the middle of giving your employee a performance review has got to be one of the worst. How can you expect to be adequately evaluated by someone who requires your presence, but won’t even give you their full attention?
A woman posted a video warning people to take off their glasses while attempting to covertly scroll social media after she caught her boss on the phone during her performance review.
Lanah Jones (@lanah_jones) recently posted a video describing a scenario that those with glasses will probably find all too familiar. The reflection of her phone screen on her glasses exposed that she was on social media while FaceTiming her boyfriend, and he called her out.
That’s not too terrible, but her other example certainly was, as Jones saw her boss scrolling through Instagram during her performance review.
In her video, Jones zoomed in on her face until the camera was focused on the reflection of her phone screen in her glasses. "Reminder: take your glasses off if you're scrolling during a Teams meeting," the text in her TikTok read.
"Literally saw my manager on Instagram during my performance review and my boyfriend saw I was scrolling when we FaceTimed smh. Has this happened to you?"
Multiple outlets picked up on Jones's video, using it as a reminder to people who might forget that their glasses have the potential to expose what they’re doing on their screen.
So, if you want to scroll without being noticed, you should consider lenses with a non-reflective coating, tilting either your phone or your eyewear, or adding more ambient light to your space.
Photo: Fizkes / Shutterstock
A comment on Jones’s video also recommended non-reflective lenses, saying, “Haha my glasses have a coating so it doesn’t show screen reflections. You should get that!” the user said.
While nothing happened when Jones spotted her boss on the phone, one can imagine how the situation might have been different if it had been Jones on her phone during the meeting instead of her boss.
That’s the kind of thing you would definitely get chastised for, given that your boss is actually paying enough attention to you to notice whether you’re on your phone or not.
Bosses tend to hold their employees to higher standards than they hold themselves. This is nothing new. However, it still must feel a bit insulting to watch your boss on social media during a meeting.
Employees have been fired over much less, but apparently, the higher you are in the chain of command, the fewer rules apply to you.
Jessica Bracken is a writer living in Davis, California. She covers entertainment and news for YourTango.