No pay, no empathy? Boss's cold reply to intern's emergency leave request goes viral
'Boss expects seriousness from his interns even though he doesn't treat them seriously…'
A recent viral Reddit post has fuelled the conversation around unpaid internships, toxic work culture, and the growing disconnect between professional expectations and personal emergencies.
The incident happened when an intern asked her boss for a day off to take care of her sick parents-and was shamed and accused of lacking 'seriousness.'
In this viral WhatsApp chat, an intern was seeking short-notice leave approval from her boss, mentioning that her parents were on bed rest and promising that the same thing 'won't happen again.' The boss replied: 'When you are interning somewhere, there is a responsibility too… Three days before a big event, you've gone missing… Anyways, your choice….
This shows seriousness towards your work.'
The message left the internet with three questions:
Is it possible for emergencies to come with a prior schedule?
Where does empathy vanish in the disguise of power dynamics?
Unpaid internship
with full-time expectations?
Unpaid Internship and exploitation
When unpaid internship opportunities often come with the promise of 'exposure' and 'experience' concerns have been raised repeatedly in recent days. In this context, the internet raised even more eyebrows over the fact that the intern in question was working without pay — a detail that converted online sympathy into full-blown outrage.
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Despite her unpaid status, she was held to the standard of a full-time employee and was slammed for asking for leave just days before a big event.
One comment read: 'If the place falls apart by an intern taking a day off, they really shouldn't be keeping interns!'
Passive aggression in the workplace
Another interesting aspect of the boss's message wasn't the rejection itself, but the passive aggression decoded from the tone of the text. Some referred to it as a classic example of gaslighting, where the boss made the intern doubt her own decision, reality, and judgment through psychological manipulation.
Being in an authoritative position, he didn't directly say 'no' to the intern. Instead, he wrote: 'Anyways, your choice… This shows seriousness towards your work,'-suggesting that taking care of one's parents during a health emergency somehow reflects poorly on one's dedication.
Call for a much-needed reset?
At its core, the reason for the virality of this post isn't just about one unpaid intern or one dismissive boss. It's about the normalization of undervaluing emotional intelligence in the workplace, and the view that time equals loyalty.On LinkedIn, one user asked: 'Why in India do people still feel ashamed to take their deserving leaves?'
Some viewed the boss's response as a lesson in professionalism. One comment read:
'It's just a way of showing urgency and having a proper divided workload. Nothing else.'-even though it was criticized for its unkind tone. The internet united on one point: emergency situations need to be dealt with sensitivity and kindness- without making employees feel guilty for choosing to care for their family
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