- AJ Orbach, CEO of Triple Whale, messaged an employee on his wedding day, sparking backlash
- Orbach praised the employee for responding despite approved leave, calling it strong ownership
- The viral post received over 1.9 million views and 600 comments, mostly critical of work culture
A US-based startup founder has issued a public apology after facing backlash for messaging an employee on their wedding day, sparking a wider debate about workplace boundaries. AJ Orbach, co-founder and CEO of Triple Whale, had earlier shared a now-deleted post on X praising an employee, Dylan Gifford, for briefly coming online during his wedding celebrations. The employee, who was on approved leave, responded to the work text, which Orbach described as "special" and a sign of strong ownership.
The post quickly went viral, drawing over 1.9 million views and over 600 comments, many of them angry and critical. While some users admired the employee's dedication, a large section of the internet questioned the company's work culture and the expectation of availability during personal milestones.Two days later, Orbach returned with a follow-up statement apologising for his actions. He explained that he had been offline observing Passover when the backlash escalated.
"I tweeted about Slacking an employee on his wedding day, logged off for nearly 48 hours to observe Passover, and returned to 1.9 million views and over 600 (mostly) angry comments. People criticized my intent, my leadership, and most importantly, the culture of the company I've spent five years building. I understand where they're coming from," he wrote on X.
Acknowledging the criticism, Orbach admitted that messaging an employee on their wedding day was inappropriate. He said his actions were driven by excitement but recognised that it reflected poor judgment. He also apologised directly to the employee and admitted that the incident did not align with the company's values of integrity and respect.
See the post here:
"So I'll be the first to admit that my excitement got the best of me here. And for that, I'm sorry. To the employee I never should've messaged, and to all of Triple Whale for not upholding that value. I care a lot about this company. Probably too much sometimes. This was one of those times. And it's on me to set the tone, and I'll be better. For myself, for Triple Whale, and for the ecosystem I care so much about," he added.
The episode has since fuelled broader conversations online about workplace expectations, boundaries, and the pressure to remain “always on,” even during significant personal moments.
