18-year-old nursery employee leaves greenhouse without telling his boss because the temperature was 130 degrees: 'I cannot work in conditions above 115 degrees'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jul 31, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

There are many times when we all wish we could just walk out of the office without announcing it to a soul. Wouldn't it be awesome if we had more free will and could just leave work and go to the art museum for 3 hours on a Thursday afternoon? In some offices, this is not unusual, with employees often leaving early and working the second half of the day from home. But for most of us, we can't just walk out of our jobs without at least notifying our managers, bosses, or HR departments of our departure. It's basic courtesy to communicate when a medical emergency comes up and you cannot continue working that day. Most employers will understand, especially if there are extenuating circumstances. It is not cool to leave your job without a peep, because your employer might think something horribly bad has happened to you on the job. 

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  • The young man in this story made a big mistake on the job. He left the greenhouse without notifying his manager, despite being supposed to be working there. He had a pretty good reason to leave, because the greenhouse was an uninhabitable 130 degrees, and he wasn't supposed to work anywhere that was hotter than 115 degrees.

  • 01

    AITA for leaving work early without telling anyone because it was over 130°F where I work?

    So i (18M) am currently interning at a very prestigious nursery in the Midwest. Its a really big deal for me because the company has government connections, and having this on my resume basically guarantees me future job opportunities.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10536604672
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • 03
    But here is the issue. My boss (lets call him MB) has been out of town on vacation for the past week. Normally, he's the one who works alongside me and checks in. But because he is gone his boss (WB), who works out of a completely different office across the state from where I'm stationed, has been "supervising" me remotely using the security
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 04
    cameras in the greenhouses. The greenhouse I work in is about a mile away from mine and my bosses office building, and since MB is gone, I haven't had access to the air-conditioned office at all. I've been stuck at the greenhouses the entire time in the heat.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10536605184
    via Toa Heftiba (Unsplash+)

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

  • 06
    Now, the weather has been brutal lately, with highs around 100- 105°F. Inside the greenhouse, it's even worse. There's no fan, no AC, and barely any ventilation. The only way I can cool it down is by opening the roll-up walls about 3 feet, but that doesn't do
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 07
    much. Even with shade cloth, the temperature inside reached over 130°F today. I was working in those conditions for 6 hours straight before I started feeling lightheaded and got a headache.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10536605696
    via Neuvalence

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

  • 09
    Since I couldn't cool off and had nowhere to rest (again, I had no access to the office), I made the decision to leave about 2 hours early. I didn't notify WB because I knew she'd be upset, and I don't have any sick leave to use anyway. About 30 minutes after I got home, WB checked the security cameras, saw I was gone, and called me. She asked where I
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 10
    was, and I told her I had gone home because I wasn't going to keep working in a greenhouse that was 130°F. She told me that if I didn't return immediately and finish out the day, I'd be suspended with no pay for a week. Problem is, I live about 30 minutes away and can't work past 5 p.m (it was already 4:30), so
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 11
    there wouldn't have been enough time to drive back and get anything done. So here is where I might be the a I told her that even if I could make it back in I wouldn't go back in because it was just too hot there and that if she wants to make sure the plants in there are fine she should come out of her
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 12
    nice ac'ed office and try working in there when it is as hot as it is. She then told me her intern isn't having any problem with the heat (she only has one greenhouse to take care of and it actually has ventilation unlike the 6 I have to take care of). So I just gave up on the conversation said I was sorry and hung up.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 13
    So now I might be suspended, and I'm worried it'll ruin my reputation at this company. I get that I probably should've told someone, but I also think I shouldn't be expected to work in dangerous conditions with no break and no access to AC. So AITA for going home early without telling my boss?
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 14
    Edit to add more context in my contract it does state that I cannot work in conditions about 115 degrees.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 15
    Edit 21 am cleared of all trouble by HR and my boss (who was not happy to be called into an emergency zoom meeting). I sent an email and image of the thermo and was swiftly contacted by HR for a meeting as my contract had not been upheld by WB (mainly the temp part). I am now under the watch of a different manager who is closer to where I am working and I will
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 16
    have 1 other employee with me until the end of next week when my boss returns. Thanks for all the comments you guys left. A lot of them helped open my eyes to the fact I truly walked out on my job. I hadn't thought about that before but the comments really brought it to the forefront of my mind.
    via u/ExternalWelder_
  • 17
    damnukids YTA, you left without telling anyone. You didn't tell them because you knew they'd be mad. I have no problem with you leaving, it was crazy hot and you had no place to cool down, it's a safety issue. But Leaving without telling someone seems like a reasonable reason to suspend someone
    via u/damnukids
  • 18
    iceph03nix It's also almost worse because it's a safety issue. If they come out there to check on you, and can't find you, as far as they know you're passed out from heat stroke in a ditch somewhere and they need to be trying to rescue you.
    via u/iceph03nix
  • 19
    It's not a good look for the company to have no one managing or supporting in a situation like this, but OP should have tried harder to make it known he was leaving or planning to leave
    via u/iceph03nix
  • 20
    Entire_News2854 He could've shot a quick message before heading out, but when you're dizzy and cooking in 130°F with no backup, your brain's in survival mode. The real issue is how the company left him out there with zero real support. That's just asking for trouble.
    via u/Entire_News2854
  • 21
    Svennis79 Should have moved some heavy, comfy bags of soil, then collapsed onto of them in full view of the camera, and see how long it takes for the medics to arrive. Blame the heat and watch them squirm
    via u/Svennis79
  • 22
    RammsteinFunstein YTA "I didn't notify WB because I knew she'd be upset" End of thread. You already admit you're the AH right there. You're not wrong for not wanting to stay. But you talk to your boss and worst case leave anyways. But just going is not the right approach
    via u/RammsteinFunstein
  • 23
    squirrelcat88 Fellow horticulture person here. YTA for leaving without telling her - but it would have been ridiculous to stay. It's not just the temperature inside the poly house, it's the humidity. I would have either called her and told her I was leaving, or if I had a vehicle there, I might have gone and sat in that with the air conditioning running for a while.
    via u/squirrelcat88
  • 24
    Puzzleheaded-Ad7606 Email or text for the legal cover.
    via u/Puzzleheaded-Ad7606
  • 25
    rinPeixes most jobs have it written in your hiring agreement that if you walk out without notice, it's assumed you're quitting. You're lucky she didn't just fire you on the spot, and instead offered you an out.
    via u/rinPeixes

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workplace-stories employee hot Heat teenager teenage teenagers work greenhouse employees overworked-employees workplace reddit thread Reddit nursery
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