In a story that has captured attention across social media, a Nigerian couple recently faced an unimaginable choice: their love or their jobs.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by @phveektordrayne, the couple—who had been quietly dating for years at work—were called into their HR office for what they assumed would be a routine check-in. What they weren’t prepared for was the shocking revelation waiting for them.
“Once you’re married, one of you has to resign. Company policy. We don’t keep married couples,” the HR representative allegedly told them.
The husband works in engineering; his wife works in administration. The company reportedly decided that his role was “more critical,” meaning she would be the one expected to step away from her hard-earned position. For a woman who had struggled for months after graduation just to secure this job, it was a cruel blow.
As the colleague who shared the story wrote, “Imagine planning a life together, and your first joint decision as a couple is: who sacrifices their career?”
Some colleagues have defended the company’s stance as “just policy, nothing personal,” while others have called it unfair, outdated, and controlling. It raises tough questions about workplace culture in Nigeria—and beyond. If a company can dictate that marriage costs someone their job, what exactly are we building careers for?
The moment the couple learned about the rule was heartbreaking. The husband reportedly sat at his desk for nearly an hour, staring blankly at his screen, unable to write a single line of code. The emotional toll of being forced to choose between love and livelihood is hard to overstate.
This story highlights a growing debate: are workplace policies meant to maintain professionalism—or are they tools of control? And in an era where talent is more mobile than ever, companies enforcing such rules may risk losing not just employees, but trust and morale.
For now, the couple faces the difficult task of deciding who will resign, while the rest of us are left wondering: in the balance between personal life and professional life, who really wins?
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Published by Ejoh Caleb
