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An internship program designed specifically for college students should probably make it possible for those students to, well, attend college. But one intern says her new boss gave her such different information about the program’s rules that she actually dropped her classes out of fear she’d lose her job.

OP had been successfully working remotely while attending school when a new boss reportedly told her she couldn’t take summer classes and would need to start working full-time in person. Worried about jeopardizing her position, she complied—until she contacted HR and discovered neither requirement appeared to be true.

Now, after comparing notes with other interns who are still working hybrid schedules and taking classes, OP is questioning why she seems to be held to an entirely different standard—and whether it’s time to formally report what’s been happening.

AITAH for potentially reporting my boss to HR as an intern?

Context I (f21) been working in this role since beginning of this year. Okay so now we get into some stuff that I am not sure is HR worthy or just roughing it out. I’ll give a good timeline:

– Worked since Jan 2026, remotely, taking full time classes. The program I am in for year round interns is MEANT for students to take classes, while having a flexible schedule with working a certain amount of hours remotely each week.

– mid April: manager clarified that I would be working full time for the summer (increasing hours) and taking summer asynchronous classes as well as working hybrid.

Alrighty…

– late April: manager talks to our new boss communicating my summer plans, boss tells him I am not able to take summer classes (it could ruin my role? Or threaten my role?) AND that I am not able to work hybrid – I must come in full time in person.

– early May: I drop out of my spring classes due to fear of my role getting cut and start to come in full time in person. No extra pay for driving out, no nothing. (Esp cause it’s far)

– early June: I contact HR to clarify if taking summer classes isn’t permissible, and to clarify the hybrid/ in person rule for my role. I am told that I am EXPECTED to work either hybrid OR remote even in the summer!

Huh?

Not in person full time at all. I am also told that summer classes is completely PERMISSIBLE. So I sign up for summer term again!

Present: I have been working in person full time. I’ve connected with other year round interns in my department and they all work hybrid. They have not ever been told summer classes would be an issue. They also have a much more laid back structure than me in terms of workload. I took over a position of a guy who worked full time and quit. So not a typical intern position.

Also, for some reason they are making me do a summer internship presentation when I’m a year round intern – not just a summer intern and they KNOW that. So the other people I connected with told me they are doing it at the end of the year, not now.

That’s bizarre.

I just don’t know if I’m going crazy but why threaten me to take my classes for school? This program is supposed to encourage finishing school while working! What the heck?

AITAH if I report this to HR?

I’m just at a loss of words really because what in the world. I wasted so many miles and at least one thousand dollars of gas to be coming in person every day and I’m just realized how f****ed up this is.

Commenters were much more divided on whether OP should actually make a formal report to HR.

Plenty of readers agreed that the situation sounded unfair, especially since HR had already confirmed that summer classes were allowed and that interns were expected to work remotely or hybrid. They felt OP had every reason to question why she was being given different rules from other interns—and why those instructions had already caused her to drop classes and spend significant money commuting.

But others cautioned OP against assuming HR would necessarily be on her side. Several commenters pointed out that HR’s job is ultimately to protect the company, and formally accusing a new boss of wrongdoing could potentially make an already complicated internship even more uncomfortable. They suggested OP first get the actual internship policies in writing, document exactly what her manager has required, and ask HR for clarification rather than immediately framing the conversation as a complaint.

There was also debate over whether OP’s workload and in-person schedule might legitimately differ because of the specific position she took over. However, commenters agreed that if that’s the case, management should be able to clearly explain why—especially when OP is apparently receiving requirements that contradict what HR told her about the program.

Ultimately, readers understood why OP was frustrated, but opinions differed on how aggressively she should pursue it. Asking questions and documenting everything seemed wise; going straight into a formal HR battle was where commenters became much more cautious.

This person says she should’ve handled this months ago…

However, this person says NTA.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an ex-Army vet who quit his security guard job after he doesn’t get a promised raise.

But this person says this isn’t right…

When your boss and HR are handing you two different rulebooks, no wonder nobody can agree on how to play it.