(Source: 123rf)
Imagine being at the heart of a Malaysian startup that rolls out what seems like an unbeatable rookie package only to find it all unraveling in real time. On 13th August 2025, the founder of a Kuala Lumpur–based startup spilled the beans on Threads, revealing a recurring nightmare. He had just fired his 3rd Gen Z hire, nearly at the 3-month mark, because she was working only 2-3 hours a day despite generous perks and full work-from-home privileges.
Even MNCs don’t offer 25 days’ annual leave
This was not just “bad luck” happening once or twice. First it was a warning. Then maybe a coincidence. But three? That is a pattern that raised serious red flags. It turned out the job offer looked like MNC level gold on paper. RM4,000 basic salary, a solid work laptop, flexible WFH, 25 days of annual leave, both paternity and maternity leave, a MyRapid transport card, juicy annual increments between 10-20%, and even medical panel clinic access in the works.
Yup, she’s married with a child
But then things started going downhill. The employee in question was caught unavailable online more than 15 times! Her go-to excuse being “anak buat perangai” meaning her child was acting up. She took emergency leave without notice and only apologised later. She declined to come into the office more than 3 times when requested and even let her husband use the company laptop then denied it when questioned. Logs don’t lie. The employer used automated activity records which showed she was active online for only 2-3 hours daily. She even claimed that she doesn't have enough time to complete her tasks.
Despite this behaviour, the boss still paid her full salary for her last month of ‘service’. It showed he valued fairness even amid tough decisions. But it also prompted a moment of self reflection. As he put it, this was his 3rd time firing a Gen Z for the exact same issue. He began questioning if the fault lay with him. Is being too generous being mistaken for being weak? He wondered if the benefits he offered were not motivating enough or if he needed to rethink hiring protocols or even do away with WFH altogether.
Once the post went live, the comment section lit up
Many netizens sided with the employer, and even asked him if they could apply for a job in his start-up due to his WFH perks.
Others offered solutions like onboarding new employees in-office before transitioning them to WFH, with clear boundaries set from day one.
And some reminded the founder not to throw every Gen Z worker into the same box just because of one negative experience.
This incident shines a spotlight on the balance required in modern workplaces. No matter how attractive your benefits package, without accountability and oversight, even the best intentions can backfire. And while flexibility is valued, blurred expectations can turn what should be a perk into an Achilles’ heel.
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