Nosy HR manager asks 24-year-old employee why she hasn't had her adult braces taken off yet: 'It's $500 and I make $15 an hour.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 11, 2025 8:00 AM EST

Was she born yesterday?

We all know, or at least we're all supposed to know, that it's not polite to ask people about their bodies in the workplace. Even positive comments, such as complimenting a coworker on losing weight, are not always appreciated. It's very common for people to lose a great deal of weight because they're going through something really horrible in their life, and the stress of that is making them completely lose their appetite. You never really know what your coworkers are going through, and asking why they look a certain way can make them feel insecure.

If there's one department in the average office that should know that you should never ask an employee why they have a weird haircut or why they don't shave their armpit hair, it's HR. Human resources are the people who are supposed to scold employees for being unprofessional with their coworkers. If your HR department doesn't know the difference between an appropriate comment/compliment and a potentially offensive one, how can you expect them to enforce workplace norms amongst the other employees? 

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  • The HR manager in this story should know better than to comment on an employee's appearance in relation to a medical condition, yet she does. She was just desperate to know when this adult employee would be getting her braces off. Luckily, this employee is no pushover, and she told her exactly why she still has her braces on. 

  • Portrait of young female worker smiling to camera while working with digital table in cafe
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My HR manger ask me why I haven't gotten my braces off when it costs $500 and I make $15 an hour

    Hr manger is with me helping me set up my health insurance and she ask is that a new phone? | said yes and she instantly gets on me and says why havn't I gotten my braces off how do I not suddenly have a 200k salary to afford everything? I instantly hit
    via u/Massive_Celery_3395
  • her with, I got it for free because my old phone was 6 years old and It was an upgrade and that my dad pays my phone bill because I don't make enough. Also I had to put 5k into my old car because it sucks. I also added I was living with my mom at age 24 because rent around me is 1800$. Now you don't need to be
    via u/Massive_Celery_3395
  • White and blue apartment building under blue sky during daytime
    via Chalo Garcia

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • a mathematician to know 15$ an hour is no where near enough to afford that. She got quite. Funny how that works right? Its almost as if I can't afford anything! Yet they think I can with my 15$ an hour slave wage. These HR people never fail to amuse me.
    via u/Massive_Celery_3395
  • greythicv Remember, folks, HR is not your friend or ally. They exist to protect the company, not you.
    via u/greythicv
  • Business team discussion team customer service concept
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Crowned Heads That's a violation in and of itself. They aren't supposed to assume anything about anyone. It's why they exist. File an HR complaint on this.
    via u/CrownedHeads
  • parkesc At least she was smart enough to shut up.
    via u/parkesc
  • IndianaCHOAMS Why tf would an HR person ask questions about your health?
    via u/IndianaCHOAMS
  • SomeSamples Have you ever worked for a small company? Most are so incestuous that HR is the boss's wife/mistress/sister/cousin. They follow very few of the actual laws and rules unless forced to do so. And who's going to force them?
    via u/SomeSamples
  • tlcdr It's a shame she can't afford common sense with her manager's salary.
    via u/tlcdr
  • If_you_have_Ghost Sounds like she should mind her own damn business.
    via u/If_you_have_Ghost
  • pocket4129 Why is hr asking about your braces at all? Are we talking dental here? How do they even know it's time for them to come off anyway? This is so odd.
    via u/pocket4129
  • hoppar3n I hate when people assume that having a new phone is an indicator of wealth or poor money management, as if they don't also get free upgrades. These days, having a new, working phone with unlimited data is almost totally mandatory by most jobs. I've worked jobs where I had to clock- in on my phone. I've had to use it for two-factor authentication at other jobs. My last job didn't supply us with tablets capable of running the necessary software to write required documents, and I had to u
    via u/hoppar3n

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salary living at home braces employee poor manager coworkers teeth rent human resources health insurance
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