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The employee describes how business continued as usual, even as some colleagues calmly dealt with the loss.
An employee calls out from the workplace after the death of a colleague: “Some people cry quietly, but they still work.” Credit: Created by artificial intelligence
A post on Reddit drew attention to the way it describes the workplace response to the death of a colleague. The employee’s words focus on how quickly things are moving, with business continuing almost as usual. This post made many people stop and think about how offices handle such moments.
The post revolves around one line that sums up the employee’s feeling: “A coworker died yesterday. Today it’s like nothing happened.”
The employee then explains what happened in detail. “One of my co-workers died yesterday morning. HR found out early. No one said anything all day. Work just kept going. About 4:30 they told us. They said we could leave early… even though the day was almost over anyway.”
According to the post, the news came very late in the day, when most of the work had already been done. Although the employees were told that they could leave early, it did not make sense because the day was almost over.
The Reddit user also wrote: “Today things are back to normal. Meetings have started. Deadlines are over. Some people are crying quietly, but they are still working.” This part of the post highlights how the office returned to its routine the next day, even when some people were still dealing with the loss.
The user also shared a thought that stayed with him. “And I can’t stop thinking about it. In a few weeks, his floor will open. And someone else will be sitting there. But in his house, nothing is ‘normal.'” The contradiction between the transition to the workplace and the loss of a family stood out to him.
The employee concluded his speech by saying, “I don’t know what the right way to deal with something like this is… but this seems very strange.”
As the post spread, people responded with their own opinions. “We’re just a number. There’s a reason they refer to us as a ‘resource’ instead of a human term,” one person said.
Another commented: “My condolences for the loss. It’s sad but that’s how it works. Same role but another employee and life goes on. Family is grieving.”
“A colleague was diagnosed with cancer and the cost of treatment was only around Rs 1-2 lakh. The company did not cover this cost. Instead, HR asked other employees to contribute,” one individual wrote. “I went through this during the coronavirus outbreak and it made me think the company has no soul,” one person said.
07 Apr 2026 at 9:30 PM IST
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