I (M48) work as a minor executive for my company. It’s not a really high up position but I have some subordinates that I’m in charge of. We’re actually working in Southeast Asia right now and the workload is fairly demanding and it’s easy get discouraged. Plus, my employees can get pretty homesick. So I do what I can to boost spirits: I play music in the workplace (my team loves classics like the Doors and even some classical like Wagner). I also go out of my way to organize things like steak dinners, cookouts, lots of beer, just to make it seem more like home. I feel like I’m doing a decent job in my role. It’s a lot of stress, a lot of pressure, but the one thing I have to look forward to every day is surfing. I live to surf and the waves by our workplace are actually pretty decent. Getting out on the water is really helping me keep going on this project.

So anyway the other day this new kid (M19) shows up (pretty new to the organization, possibly an intern). But I instantly recognize him as a fairly noticeable surfer on the West Coast. So I introduce myself, we chat, he’s actually a pretty cool guy. We even make plans to go surfing after work that day. I show him my board, let him handle it, but just then I get called into a meeting. I trust the guy, after all he probably knows how hard it is to find a board you like. But I come back and the board and the guy are both gone.

So of course I’m upset. I get some of my employees together and we start searching the jobsite, the offices, etc. trying to find the board. I’m making it clear that I’m not going to chew the guy out or anything, I just want the board back. We keep looking, and eventually it gets to the end of the workday. I really want the board back so I tell the guys to keep looking, even though it’s well after work hours and it’s getting dark. I know it’s not cool to keep my coworkers after work hours, but come on, I feel like I’ve been a good boss and now the one thing I value here is gone. So am I asshole?