No performance concerns, no missed deadlines. But manager decides to terminate employee for dozing off at work. HR’s reality check leaves him disappointed. ‘The issue here is micro-management.’

Micromanagement at toxic workplaces can take a toll on even the most dedicated and sincere employees. Constantly monitoring every movement, break durations, and minute-by-minute activities can affect a professional’s productivity and mental health, making them feel disinterested or causing burnout. Recently, career coach Simon Ingari shared a post on his X handle putting out one such story of micromanagement that has now resonated with many online. As per the write-up, when a manager decided to fire a top-performing employee for her occasional zoning-out habits, he got a brutal reality check instead.

Manager-HR confrontation on employee behaviour

As per the post, the manager, in an interaction with the HR representative of the company, revealed that he was going to fire an employee named Olivia for ‘microdosing her PTO (paid time off). When the confused HR asked him to elaborate, the manager explained that Olivia was dissociating at work, which he deemed an unapproved use of PTO.


When the HR questioned whether Olivia was getting her work done, meeting deadlines, or exhibiting any performance concerns, the manager admitted that her performance was completely fine. However, he maintained that her productivity was not the core issue. Instead, his grievance was that she appeared to be working at her desk while actually zoning out.

When asked how he knew she was zoning out, the manager revealed that during a routine check, he noticed her staring away from her screen, taking a long time to notice his presence. To confirm his suspicions, he reviewed nearby CCTV footage from different days. He then took the extreme step of installing a new CCTV camera directly above her desk to monitor Olivia every moment, admitting that he now checked the footage every 10 to 15 minutes.

HR’s smart statement leaves manager upset

Despite the HR pointing out that she could have simply been reflecting or thinking deeply, and reiterating that her work was still getting done, the manager insisted that microdosing PTO was dishonest. When the HR questioned what monitoring an employee via CCTV all day should be called, the manager confidently labeled it as ‘good management.’

Ultimately, the HR representative summarized the situation, stating that since Olivia completed her work and met all deadlines, the root problem was not the employee's behavior. Instead, HR delivered a brutal reality check, asserting that the real issue at hand was micromanagement. The response left the manager completely disappointed, and probably accepting defeat, he walked out of the HR office.