A worker in his 60s who had diligently attended every family event of his colleagues expressed disappointment after receiving no word from three junior coworkers on the day of his son's wedding.
JTBC's "Incident Chief," which aired Monday, featured the story of a worker in his 60s, identified as A, whose son recently got married. "The ceremony was kept simple and family-centered, but as a courtesy, I sent a mobile wedding invitation to the entire department through the company messenger to share the news," A said. While greeting guests who came in person on the wedding day, A realized that three junior colleagues from his department had not shown up.
"Our department has nearly 100 people, but we exchange greetings even in the hallway," A said. "I had attended every family event of those three juniors, but they didn't send a single message until the ceremony was over." He added, "It's not about the money. What hurts is that there wasn't even a single congratulatory message. I don't know if this is the MZ generation's way of drawing boundaries, or if I'm just being an old-timer," seeking advice.
Attorney Son Soo-ho, who appeared on the program, said, "If they didn't even say anything after receiving congratulatory money from him, that's unacceptable. They deserve to be reprimanded." Professor Park Sang-hee also pointed out, "Young people these days also fulfill their duties. This isn't a generational issue — those three simply lack the basics of social life." Reactions from the studio audience and online were largely in the same direction. Alongside voices of sympathy saying "social life is based on give and take," others added, "Returning the favor when you've received something is basic human decency," and "If they had no intention of reciprocating, they should have declared in advance that they would decline congratulatory money at their own family events."
The generational gap surrounding workplace family events is also reflected in the numbers. According to a 2024 survey conducted by the National Labor Relations Commission on 3,742 respondents including labor-management-public committee members, investigators, and the general public, 43.3% of general respondents predicted that "conflicts with the MZ generation will become the most common" form of workplace conflict going forward. The survey pointed to disputes over working hours, work methods, and corporate culture as the backdrop for this outlook. Experts generally agree that customs around family events fall along the same line. However, the panelists on the program did not attribute the behavior of A's juniors to generational traits. Passing over a family event without any response, even after having been supported in one's own, goes against basic etiquette regardless of generation.
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