Millennial Ignores Call From Boss, What Boyfriend Does Next Sparks Outrage

A man has been slammed by viewers online after his girlfriend shared how he reacted when she received a call from her boss outside of work hours.

The man's girlfriend took to Reddit on November 4 under u/leading-science-6302 to detail the breach of her professional boundaries that has since led to a conflict between the couple. Her post has garnered over 17,000 upvotes, as readers weighed in on the incident.

The woman, a 28-year-old working a high-pressure job, said that she had recently established a strict rule to stop taking work-related calls after 7 p.m. to unwind and prioritize quality couple time. Her boyfriend, a 30-year-old, initially appeared to support this decision. However, the situation took a surprising turn when her boss called around 8:30 p.m. one evening.

Choosing to adhere to her boundaries, she ignored the call, but her boyfriend questioned her decision and subsequently took matters into his own hands.

"He picked up my phone and answered the call himself, saying I was 'too busy relaxing to talk'," the original poster (OP) said. "I was mortified."

This unanticipated action left her humiliated as her boss reacted with annoyance, necessitating an immediate 30-minute call to mitigate the misunderstanding caused by her boyfriend's interference.

Newsweek spoke to Caitlin Slavens, a California-based psychologist specializing in family therapy, who addressed the OP.

"When your boyfriend answered the call, he crossed a line that made it seem like he didn't respect your ability to handle your work boundaries," she said. "It's understandable why you were upset—he disrupted your evening, potentially impacted your professional reputation, aggravated your boss, and didn't give you the chance to stick to the boundary you'd set."

The man's unsanctioned intervention not only disrupted his partner's evening but also portrayed her as neglectful of her professional duties. In the wake of the incident, a heated argument ensued where she expressed her anger and frustration, asserting that it wasn't his place to interfere with her work boundaries.

Her boyfriend, however, dismissed her concerns, believing she was overreacting and asserting that she "shouldn't be ashamed" of setting boundaries.

Slavens said that addressing such boundary issues requires a delicate, unemotional conversation.

"Explain that while you appreciate his initial support, you need him to trust your judgment on work matters," the psychologist said. "Let him know how important it is that you manage these boundaries personally, and reinforce that he can support you best by allowing you to handle work-related issues.

"Your boyfriend needs to respect your boundaries with your career, which includes letting you and only you decide on how those boundaries will be enforced."

The post has ignited a fiery discussion on Reddit, with many supporting the woman's stance on maintaining strict boundaries between work and personal life. Users expressed their indignation at the boyfriend's actions, recognizing the potential damage to her professional reputation.

"Wow, this is really inappropriate. He just undermined you and damaged your relationship with your boss. To me it's creepy that he even answers your phone at all unless there was an emergency, much less when he knows it's your boss calling," one viewer said.

Another added: "Honestly, ask him why he tried to get you fired. Make him think you're on trouble at work because of what he did."

"This! It is a red flag when a partner starts to do 'little' disruptive things to your work," another said. "This one time it might not be a job ending moment but most bosses and organizations don't look kindly on any type of interference."

Newsweek reached out to u/leading-science-6302 for more information via Reddit.

Stock image of a man and woman arguing on a couch. A man has been slammed by viewers online over his actions towards his girlfriend's boss. Getty Images

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