Rich friend advises working-class employee to prioritize vacation over work and family, sparks debate

People often have the habit of being unscrupulous and giving tone-deaf suggestions to people without knowing their backgrounds and problems. For the person on the receiving end, it can be unsettling, especially when it is about their finance and livelihood. Undoubtedly, it’s frustrating to hear an earful from someone who is multiple times better off than the other. u/megatonrezident took to Reddit to share their experience on how a wealthy friend gave them “tone-deaf” advice after they refused to leave their job and life for a week for a random vacation. The employee mentioned that they had a college friend who turned out to be “obscenely wealthy.” They gave her the name “Amy” in the post. 

The friend said that after the graduation, their friend group drifted apart and moved to different places. Amy was living in California and was absurdly rich. The employee then said, “Most of the group is doing okay, but a few of us, myself included, are broke, depressed, and stuck in jobs we hate.” After explaining the contrasting financial standings of the friends and Amy, the post mentioned that Amy wanted the group to have a reunion. Revealing the details of the overly expensive trip, the user mentioned how it would be financially straining or even impossible for many, including themselves, to afford an impromptu vacation.

The trip would amount to thousands of dollars and high-standard living, which was more than what the employee could manage. “I flat-out told her that I wouldn‘t be able to take a week off, especially when Nov-Dec is incredibly busy. She responds with, ‘I‘ll pay for your flight!’ Okay? That means nothing. I won‘t have a job to come back to if I just take an unapproved week off,” the employee said. However, Amy was too whimsical and wealthy to understand the frustrations her fellow friends were facing. The employee then ranted about their work system and how they have to strive to make it through day after day.

“I also kind of went off about how I was so depressed and tired of barely being able to survive despite working my ass off every week in a toxic workplace,” the employee shared. To this, Amy gave the most drastic and astonishing reply. She said, “But you‘re alive, right? You can always follow your dreams as long as you have breath in your body! You can one day own your own business and make your hours and vacation whenever you want!” The employee was undoubtedly done with Amy by this point. Not only did she refuse to understand their struggle, she also disregarded their strife, indicating that they’re not as grateful as they should be. The employee mentioned that after the “worthless and tone-deaf advice,” the plan barely went ahead and only 2 out of 15 people showed interest in the costly vacation.

The employee concluded their post by saying that rich people "don‘t care what happens to the rest as long as they can step on us and enjoy their wealth.” With over 1.7k upvotes and 193 comments, several users agreed with the employee’s point of view and called out Amy for her mindless opinions on a situation she knows nothing about. u/Backlotter said, “The capitalist only gets vacation whenever they want because workers are doing the work for them.”

u/momohatch said, “I get where you’re coming from. The disconnect is astounding. They haven’t experienced the struggle or lived on a razor’s edge with finances, so the things that come out of their mouths can seem embarrassingly out of touch.”