A TikTok video posted by user Nina (@corporateninah) on Aug. 10 has drawn attention to workplace boundaries. In it, Nina reacts to an employee who sent a direct resignation email in which she said she was resigning immediately after being required to stay late for a meeting.
The video showed a screenshot of the email, and its caption read: "I can't believe they'd send this to quit a job for real." The creator presented the video as an example of a "Gen Z employee" resigning directly.
The employee, named Kayla, wrote in an email to her employer that she would not be returning to work after having to stay 25 minutes past her scheduled end time for a meeting the previous week. The email started off by saying, "Hey, I know it's Sunday night, but I'm not coming in tomorrow or ever again," according to the screenshot.
@corporateninah I can't believe they'd send this to quit a job for real #corporatelife #careeradvice #careertok #corporatehumor #careertips
♬ original sound - Nina
Kayla also said that she had taken up a new post with the company's main competitor, which paid twice as much. She ended the email with "Good riddens." She appeared to mean "good riddance," making it a spelling mistake.
The TikTok post had more than 51,000 likes and numerous comments. Kayla also left a comment on the post, confirming that she was the employee who wrote the resignation email. "Hi, that's me!! I'm Kayla!! I'm so much happier now!! ," she wrote.
Several commenters supported Kayla's decision, though some viewers objected to the decision to share the resignation online. "This is beyond unprofessional," one commenter wrote. Another described the email as a "childish way to burn a bridge" and questioned whether Kayla might eventually need a reference from the employer.
People also argued that the situation described in the email made her decision reasonable. A few commenters said that Kayla had said her new job offered twice the pay, arguing that the pay difference suggested she may have been underpaid. One commenter asked, "Why is your competitor paying double?" and said that it sounded like her former company might need to look after employees better.
The video also renewed debate over two-week notice periods. Some users argued that employees should not be required to give advance notice because employers may terminate workers without advance notice, depending on the circumstances. Others, however, believed that quitting without notice could affect a worker's professional reputation in the long run.
