- CEO praised employee for working briefly on wedding day despite approved leave
- Employee responded to a message while on PTO out of excitement for company work
- Online backlash criticized the post for promoting poor work-life balance and stress
A CEO and co-founder is facing online backlash for praising an employee who was "online" on his wedding day. AJ Orbach, the co-founder of Triple Whale, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the employee, named Dylan Gifford, popped online briefly because he was "genuinely excited about what they're building". The employee was on approved leave, but still responded to a text. The founder said that this kind of ownership is "special".
However, the internet didn't see it that way, with users calling it "awful" and "toxic". The viral incident also highlighted the ongoing debate about work-life balance and hustle culture.
"One of our team just got married today... and still popped online for a bit. Not because anyone asked. Is on fully approved PTO. Just genuinely excited about what they're building," Orbach wrote.
"That kind of ownership is special. Also told them to log off," the founder clarified, but still got trolled for asking the employee, "How is it going?"
Also read | US-Based Firm Lures Employees Back To Office With $2000 Wellness Stipend
Social Media Reaction
The post garnered around 1.5 million views and more than 500 comments, with users saying that the incident is a poor example of work-life balance. Many expressed their disapproval, citing concerns about the impact on mental health and relationships.
"Why you messaged him while on approved PTO and you know it's his wedding day? Based on the described "culture" poor fella got notification and felt pressure to reply. He would not be "online" if you have not messaged first," one user wrote in the comment section.
"Hate to see it looks like the boss bugged him on chat instead of leaving him alone on his wedding day. No idea how close they are. Maybe there are homies but if they are then he should be at his wedding in flesh on through a series of pipes via electrical signals," another user wrote.
"You should not have posted this and should definitely not be proud of this. The "thing" that encouraged you to post it, or that would cause one to perceive it as inspiring instead of tragic, is a kind of spiritual sickness," said a third user.
One user simply said "hope this is satire".
