A founder is facing a wave of backlash after praising an employee for logging into work on his wedding day. While the founder hailed the move as a sign of “special ownership” and genuine excitement for their project, social media users have labelled the incident “awful.” Despite the founder’s claim that the employee was on approved leave and was voluntarily online for work communication, the viral exchange has reignited a fierce debate over toxic work culture and the lack of boundaries in the tech industry.
“One of our team just got married today… and still popped online for a bit,” Aj Orbach, co-founder of Ohio-based firm Triple Whale, wrote.
He added, “Not because anyone asked. Is on fully approved PTO. Just genuinely excited about what they’re building. That kind of ownership is special. Also told them to log off.”
Orbach shared a screenshot of a conversation between him and the employee, in which he asks, “How is it going?” The employee replies, “It’s going, got married this morning/afternoon but I am back online.”
How did social media react?
Social media wasn’t happy about the founder’s post. Many argued that worrying about your work on the day of the wedding was not admirable.
An X user wrote, “That’s awful. One lucky partner. Another added, “His marriage is not gonna end well.”
A third posted, “This is the saddest most pathetic s**t I’ve seen in quite a while.” A fourth expressed, “Genuinely one of the most pathetic things I’ve ever seen on this app. In that saying something, you should be embarrassed.”