November 5, 2026 at 3:47 am

She Was Drowning in Hours of Unpaid Overtime—So Her Boyfriend Helped Her Draft a Firm Message Shutting Down Free Labor

by Jayne Elliott

young woman in a pink suit shrugging

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Being a working mom comes with challenges, and the biggest one is childcare. If both parents work outside the home, it’s vital to find someone to watch the kids during the day.

In this story, we hear about an employee’s coworker who just returned from maternity leave. She wants her coworkers to lie for her if she gets to work later after dropping her baby off at daycare.

They don’t feel comfortable doing that, but one employee also feels bad for not helping her out.

What’s the right thing to do in this situation? Let’s read the whole story to decide.

AITA for not agreeing to lie to my supervisor so my coworker had extra benefits?

We work in a office, would prefer not to say which company.

I’ve been working here for over ten years and have a good position, never had a big issue besides “who stole my lunch” type of deal.

However I think some time prior to the pandemic a new woman started working here too.

Returning to work meant finding childcare.

Last year she had a baby, recently her maternity leave finished so she had to come back to work.

As her and her husband can’t afford a nanny then they need to send their kid to a nursery day care, which is around forty minutes away from our workplace.

She has asked management to get in an hour later than everyone else but they declined

Here’s the problem.

The issue I’m facing is that yesterday’s afternoon she asked me and other coworkers (who immediately work with her) to cover her up so she can arrive late anyway.

I said no and that I would tell our supervisor if he’d ask me.

She got very angry but some other people agreed with me, we can’t risk out jobs because of her.

OP feels conflicted.

It does suck that she’s having it hard but it’s not our fault.

She called us all jerks and cried.

My family thinks I done well but I have this gut feeling that I’m truly a jerk for not helping her out.

No, the coworkers shouldn’t lie for the new mom. Why can’t she find a daycare closer to work? Surely, there has to be some place closer.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person thinks her coworkers are right.

2026 11 04 at 10.16.55 AM She Was Drowning in Hours of Unpaid Overtime—So Her Boyfriend Helped Her Draft a Firm Message Shutting Down Free Labor

Here’s what her coworker should really do.

2026 11 04 at 10.17.03 AM She Was Drowning in Hours of Unpaid Overtime—So Her Boyfriend Helped Her Draft a Firm Message Shutting Down Free Labor

This person mentions “integrity.”

2026 11 04 at 10.17.19 AM She Was Drowning in Hours of Unpaid Overtime—So Her Boyfriend Helped Her Draft a Firm Message Shutting Down Free Labor

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier who got annoyed with a group of friends who insisted on returning their items separately.

Another person understands why OP feels bad about saying “no.”

2026 11 04 at 10.17.34 AM She Was Drowning in Hours of Unpaid Overtime—So Her Boyfriend Helped Her Draft a Firm Message Shutting Down Free Labor

Saying “no” can be hard, but sometimes it’s the right thing to do, especially when you’re being asked to lie for someone.

The coworker is going to have to figure this out on her own.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.