‘I accidentally Grinched my way up the corporate ladder': Employee tells his boss’s kid that Santa isn’t real, earns him the ‘weirdest’ promotion of his life

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Jul 26, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Are you a brutally honest person? Like, you can't even help yourself but tell the truth. Lying just isn't part of your reflexes. Some people are very good at it, but you're just not one of those people. Sure, it might be easier to tell a little white lie every now and then, but why? Honesty is part of your very being. Well, don't be so hard on yourself! Being a painfully honest person is great! Just take this guy, for instance, who thought he was surely going to be fired after accidentally being too honest. However, it turns out it was just the right amount of honest and he got a promotion for it! 

 

This takes place at an office Christmas party where one of the employees was asked to keep an eye on the kids for a little bit. He happily did so if it meant he could avoid work conversation. He was having fun until he forgot he was talking to kids and was a little too honest about Santa Claus…

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  • That's right, he told the boss' kid that he didn't believe in Santa. He said it light-heartedly though, with an optimistic take, but the kid did start to tear up. When the boss pulled him aside, he really thought he was going to get fired. Instead, his boss was ecstatic that someone was honest with his son and gave the guy a promotion! 

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    via Unsplash+ (and Polina)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • So, this happened last December and it still feels like a fever dream. I (26M) work in a mid-sized marketing firm.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • I'm low-ish on the ladder -- not an intern, but definitely not a "corner office" guy. Around the holidays, the company throws this super fancy Christmas party at the CEO's house
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • (he's very into "family culture," so we all show up with spouses, kids, dogs, emotional baggage, etc.). Now, I don't have kids.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • I barely have matching socks most days. But I love Christmas, and I'm decent with kids. So when my boss (let's call him Mike) asked me to help watch over the kid area
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • while the adults got wine-drink on spiced cabernet, I was like, "Sure! Free cookies and no small talk about quarterly reports? Count me in.”
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • I'm helping a group of kids decorate sugar cookies when this little boy - maybe 6 or 7 - looks up at me and goes, "Do you think Santa's really real?"
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • I didn't even think. Not for a second. I said, "Nah, but it's fun to pretend, right?" Just like that. Friendly tone, dumb grin, sprinkle- covered fingers.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • This kid's face drops like I told him his goldfish d d again. Full-on trembling lip. I immediately realize I have made a terrible, career- altering mistake.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • Guess who the kid was? Mike's son. Of course. Ten minutes later, I'm summoned. Not by HR. Not by my manager. By Mike himself.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • I'm picturing my career in flames. Me, jobless in January, selling feet pics to pay rent. But instead, he sits me down, deadpan serious, and says:
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • "You told my son the truth. Nobody in this company tells the truth. They all smile and nod and fake-believe in Santa. You -- you just blurt it out.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • You don't overthink. I like that." I'm sitting there, stunned. He continues: "I need someone like that on the innovation team. We're pitching bold ideas this year.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • No BS." Long story short: I got promoted. Literally because I ruined a kid's Christmas. Mike later told me his son was already suspicious, and I just "accelerated the timeline."
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • (His wife was apparently furious for a week.) Now I'm on a team I never thought I'd be on, because I k lled Santa.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • Every time I walk into a meeting, my coworkers whisper "Saint Nick Slayer" under their breath. Anyway. That's the story of how I accidentally Grinched my way up the corporate ladder.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • Life's weird.
    via CandidSyllabub9761
  • Cheezburger Image 10534257152
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Promotion_Small When I was teaching 2nd grade, I was doing a lesson about what makes a story fantasy. I told them fantasy has faries, or talking animals, unicorns or elves. A kid blurted out Elves? Santa is fantasy? The whole class is staring at me completely horrified. And I did not cut the BS. I lied so hard. No, no, not those elves, the magic archer elves, like Lord of the Rings elves. Ohhhhh. They were all so relieved. Didn't get any emails from parents, so a win.
    via Promotion_Small
  • Kaiser-Sohze That makes sense from a corporate perspective. You knew Santa was bulls and the kid asked. You told the truth in a situation where not many people would. I have worked in three industries and never lied in any job which was why management always loved me. One job was in a police department and the top brass loved me because I never lied. The honest cops loved me and the dishonest cops feared me like I was the Grim Reaper. Being honest is the ultimate leverage. If you are ever in a p
    via Kaiser-Sohze
  • Ok-Professional2468 My family has 2 generations of Santa trauma: My dad was 7ish years older than his oldest nephew, my oldest cousin, and busted the Santa myth to his nephew when the kid was 5ish. My cousin's mother waited until I was 3ish to break the Santa myth for me. Problem was that I never grew up with Santa. According to my parents, my aunt was so angry with dad. She had waited 20 years to bust the Santa myth to dad's kids as revenge.
    via Ok-Professional2468

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management salary promotion boss employee hourly manager job work coworkers upper management co-workers raise parenting employees office party pay raise career supervisor workplace santa company business
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