"Back Online": Why internet slammed a Boss for praising a newlywed’s dedication

AJ Orbach, the co-founder of the Ohio-based e-commerce analytics company Triple Whale, recently found himself at the centre of a social media firestorm. The controversy began when Orbach attempted to praise an employee’s "special ownership" after the staff member logged into work on their wedding day.

Post that sparked backlash

The incident started when Orbach sent a Slack message to an employee on their wedding day asking, "How is it going?" Despite being on approved paid time off (PTO), the employee responded immediately: "It’s going, got married this morning/afternoon but I am back online."

Impressed by the dedication, Orbach shared a screenshot of the exchange on X (formerly Twitter). “One of our team just got married today… and still popped online for a bit. Not because anyone asked. Is on fully approved PTO. Just genuinely excited about what they’re building." He added, "That kind of ownership is special," while also mentioning that he told the employee to log off.

Socialmedia outcry

The post quickly went viral, but not for the reasons Orbach expected. Instead of admiring the employee's dedication, the internet slammed the interaction as a sign of a "toxic" work culture. Critics argued that:

• A founder should never message an employee on their wedding day.
• The "hustle culture" being celebrated was "pathetic" and "unhealthy."
• Celebrating work-life imbalance sets a dangerous precedent for other employees.

The post reached over 2 million views and drew hundreds of harsh comments before Orbach deleted it.

Apology

After logging off for two days to observe Passover, Orbach returned to find the massive backlash. On April 11, 2026, he issued a formal apology on X, admitting he "went viral for the wrong reason."

"I’ll be the first to admit that my excitement got the best of me here," Orbach wrote. "To the employee I never should've messaged, and to all of Triple Whale, for not upholding that value [of integrity]... I'm sorry."

He acknowledged that while he prides himself on the passion of his team, it is his responsibility as a leader to set a better tone for work-life boundaries. He concluded by promising to be a better leader for the company he has spent five years building.

I went viral for the wrong reason.

I tweeted about Slacking an employee on his wedding day, logged off for nearly 48 hours to observe Passover, and returned to 1.9 million views and over 600 (mostly) angry comments.

People criticized my intent, my leadership, and most…

— AJ Orbach 🐳 (@AY_Orbach) April 9, 2026