A casual work reply has sparked a conversation about workplace etiquette and the way different generations communicate.
A Malaysian Gen Z worker recently shared that she was scolded by her boss after replying to a work message with “okiess” instead of “okay”.
Replied “okiess” to boss
According to mStar, the young woman said her boss was on leave the day before but had WhatsApped her to ask for help with a task.
“We’re Gen Z. My boss was on leave yesterday, but he WhatsApped me asking for help to do something.
So I replied ‘okiess’, which means okay,” she wrote.

However, the casual reply did not sit well with her boss.
According to the worker, when her boss returned to the office the next day, he reprimanded her over the way she had replied to his message.
“He told me to reply with the word ‘okay’ next time. He said this is work, not a place to joke around with friends.”
Called boss a “dinosaur” generation
The worker also appeared to be frustrated by the incident, leading her to refer her boss as one from the “dinosaur” generation.
The term is often used jokingly to describe older people who may not understand younger habits, slang, or online communication styles.
The post has since highlighted a familiar workplace gap between younger employees who are used to casual online language and employers who may expect more formal communication in a professional setting.
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