Don't say 'hey' | Is this boss's critique of an employee's workplace language valid?

A worker has sparked a debate about language in the workplace, after sharing an interaction in which their boss berated them for saying ‘Hey’ in a WhatsApp message.

The anonymous worker posted on Reddit about their altercation with their boss, when asked about a test submission. The employee had responded with: "Hey, No, not yet."

But the boss was not pleased with the response, saying: "Please don't use the word 'hey'. It's offensive for me. If you can't remember my name, simply use 'Hi'." He continued to press his employee on other terms that shouldn't be used in a professional space, including "dude" and "man".

He added that only "hello" and "hi there" should be used as greetings if you are "not targeting a wide audience."