June 2, 2025 at 5:24 pm

Company Wanted To Control An Employee’s Presence, So They Questioned Whether Loyalty Should Cost Them Their Autonomy

by Benjamin Cottrell

woman taking a selfie with her smartphone

Pexels/Reddit

In some jobs, professionalism ends at the office door, but others expect it to follow you home.

One employee was caught off guard when their employer started policing how he appeared on their own personal social accounts.

Read on for the full story.

AITA – Employer expects us to use Work/Uniform pictures on personal social media accounts.

I’m employed by a newish security company and they’re essentially trying to force us to “live their brand.”

One of the things they’ve been pushing these last two weeks is updating our profile pics on social media and on a certain green app to pictures of us in our uniform.

But this employee begins to question whether they have any actual grounds to request this.

They do not provide separate or business accounts, and all the accounts in question are my personal accounts.

I checked the handbook, etc., and we haven’t signed anything that would legally obligate me to comply.

It all gives them a weird feeling.

I feel like I’m doing good too much, but it feels wrong.

AITA for refusing to conform?

What they called “team spirit” felt a lot more like control.

What did Reddit think?

For a security company, this business certainly isn’t being very discreet.

Screenshot 2025 05 12 at 10.34.09 PM Company Wanted To Control An Employees Presence, So They Questioned Whether Loyalty Should Cost Them Their Autonomy

It seems like this company isn’t understanding the personal in personal accounts.

Screenshot 2025 05 12 at 10.34.44 PM Company Wanted To Control An Employees Presence, So They Questioned Whether Loyalty Should Cost Them Their Autonomy

Maybe this company isn’t a good one to work for anyway.

Screenshot 2025 05 12 at 10.36.00 PM Company Wanted To Control An Employees Presence, So They Questioned Whether Loyalty Should Cost Them Their Autonomy

It’s always best to keep your personal and your professional life separate.

Screenshot 2025 05 12 at 10.36.33 PM Company Wanted To Control An Employees Presence, So They Questioned Whether Loyalty Should Cost Them Their Autonomy

They signed up to do their job, not forfeit their personal identity.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.