You may not have heard of a resignation this quick. An Indian HR professional has stirred debate on LinkedIn by sharing a case of an employee who allegedly quit just five minutes after receiving their first salary.
“Salary credited at 10:00 AM, resignation emailed at 10:05 AM,” the post read, with the HR professional expressing frustration that the HR and training teams had invested significant time in onboarding and mentoring the new hire. The HR professional in question is Priyavarshini M. In her LinkedIn post, she questioned the ethics of the move, asking, “Was that fair? Was it ethical?” She argued that last-minute resignations often signal “a lack of intent, maturity, and accountability,” urging the need for honest and open communication.
“If something didn’t feel right, you could’ve spoken up. You could’ve asked for clarity or help. You could’ve made a conscious exit, not a convenient one,” she wrote. “No job is easy. Every role takes commitment, patience, and effort. Growth doesn’t come with your first paycheck — it comes with perseverance. Before blaming ‘culture’ or ‘role mismatch,’ pause, reflect, and communicate. Because in the end, your professionalism is defined not by your post, but by your actions.”
The story quickly went viral, drawing over 2,000 reactions and 900 comments. Professionals were sharply divided—some defended the employee’s decision, while others pointed to corporate layoffs and questioned employer ethics. The comments section became a war of words over workplace loyalty versus the realities of today’s job market.
Last-minute exits are nothing new for HR teams, but the dramatic ways they unfold often make headlines. Recently, another viral post featured a resignation letter from a user named Own Associate 6920, which simply read: “Dear Sir, bye-bye sir!”
Whether such incidents make things harder for future employees or push organizations to reevaluate their own practices remains uncertain. What’s clear is that these flash exits are forcing both employers and employees to rethink what professionalism, commitment, and trust truly mean in today’s workplace.
