New Delhi: An Indian HR professional’s recent LinkedIn post has sparked a lively discussion online. The post described how an employee allegedly quit just minutes after getting their first paycheck. “Salary credited at 10:00 AM, resignation emailed at 10:05 AM,” it read, adding that the HR team had spent hours onboarding and the team had invested weeks in training the employee.
The HR professional in her post questioned the ethics of such an abrupt exit. “Let’s talk about professional ethics. The company welcomed you, trusted you, and gave you a platform to grow. And then—five minutes after your first salary hit your account—you walked away. Was that fair? Was it ethical?” she wrote. She added that last-minute resignations often reflect “a lack of intent, maturity, and accountability,” stressing the need for honest and open communication.
“If something didn’t feel right: You could’ve spoken up. You could’ve asked for clarity or help. You could’ve made a conscious exit, not a convenient one. No job is ‘easy.’ Every role takes commitment, patience, and effort. Growth doesn’t come with your first paycheck — it comes with perseverance. So before pointing fingers at ‘culture’ or ‘role mismatch,’ pause, reflect, communicate. Because in the end, your professionalism is defined not by your post — but by your actions,” the post read.
The post quickly grabbed attention online, sparking sharply divided opinions.
One user commented, “Person is not wrong. But being HR, you should not post such matters on social media. It clearly shows your immaturity, please…”
Another wrote, “Everyone has their rights. If they feel they have no future in a toxic environment, they can leave anytime. For their work, they get the salary — not for free.”
A third user added, “It’s very unprofessional to use salary as a tool to hold onto employees.”