'Too young to have a life': Redditor claims manager demanded unpaid overtime, tried to control her life outside work
When she approached HR, they agreed she was not at fault and acknowledged that the manager’s expectations were inappropriate.
- Dec 10, 2025,
- Updated Dec 10, 2025 5:30 PM IST
A Reddit post is gaining attention after a young employee shared how her manager has been pressuring her to work unpaid overtime and interfering in her personal life — even telling her she’s “too young to have a life.”
The employee wrote that she always finishes her tasks within her regular eight-hour shift. “There has been no formal performance warning, no missed deadlines, and no refusal of work. I complete everything assigned to me within office hours,” she said. However, her manager insists her performance is poor solely because she refuses to work beyond her scheduled hours without pay.
When she approached HR, they agreed she was not at fault and acknowledged that the manager’s expectations were inappropriate. But they also told her they cannot move her to another team yet because “there is no open position available,” leaving her stuck reporting to the same manager.
According to the post, the situation escalated when the manager began making personal remarks about her interests and friendships at work. She says he told her he would no longer give her new responsibilities, accused her of working “only for the money,” and discouraged her from talking to coworkers who shared her hobbies or sitting with them at lunch. He even said that “because I am young, I should focus only on work and not have a life.”
The employee wrote that this no longer feels like professional feedback: “He is trying to control what I do outside office hours, what I am interested in as a person, who I talk to at work, where I sit at work, and even whether I am allowed to have a life at all.”
HR advised her to document every incident and to ask the manager to put any complaints in writing. She says he has not provided anything in writing so far. She also admitted that she feels scared to resign because the job market is tough and she has responsibilities at home.
The post quickly went viral, with other users sharing similar experiences and offering advice.
One user wrote, “Manager tried. I quit. Manager got pissed. I didn’t care. Found a new job. Paid better. Have been following the same policy since. Let me work and I will do wonders for you, try to control me and my resignation is always in my drafts. Brash? Yes. Radical? Totally. Am I prioritising the right aspects of my life? 100%.”
Another responded, “Become a rebel employee.”
A third user advised, “Do your job, ignore extra, avoid manager for talk other than job, and prepare to switch if you don't get to move internally. Have some boundaries.”
A Reddit post is gaining attention after a young employee shared how her manager has been pressuring her to work unpaid overtime and interfering in her personal life — even telling her she’s “too young to have a life.”
The employee wrote that she always finishes her tasks within her regular eight-hour shift. “There has been no formal performance warning, no missed deadlines, and no refusal of work. I complete everything assigned to me within office hours,” she said. However, her manager insists her performance is poor solely because she refuses to work beyond her scheduled hours without pay.
When she approached HR, they agreed she was not at fault and acknowledged that the manager’s expectations were inappropriate. But they also told her they cannot move her to another team yet because “there is no open position available,” leaving her stuck reporting to the same manager.
According to the post, the situation escalated when the manager began making personal remarks about her interests and friendships at work. She says he told her he would no longer give her new responsibilities, accused her of working “only for the money,” and discouraged her from talking to coworkers who shared her hobbies or sitting with them at lunch. He even said that “because I am young, I should focus only on work and not have a life.”
The employee wrote that this no longer feels like professional feedback: “He is trying to control what I do outside office hours, what I am interested in as a person, who I talk to at work, where I sit at work, and even whether I am allowed to have a life at all.”
HR advised her to document every incident and to ask the manager to put any complaints in writing. She says he has not provided anything in writing so far. She also admitted that she feels scared to resign because the job market is tough and she has responsibilities at home.
The post quickly went viral, with other users sharing similar experiences and offering advice.
One user wrote, “Manager tried. I quit. Manager got pissed. I didn’t care. Found a new job. Paid better. Have been following the same policy since. Let me work and I will do wonders for you, try to control me and my resignation is always in my drafts. Brash? Yes. Radical? Totally. Am I prioritising the right aspects of my life? 100%.”
Another responded, “Become a rebel employee.”
A third user advised, “Do your job, ignore extra, avoid manager for talk other than job, and prepare to switch if you don't get to move internally. Have some boundaries.”