“One month into the job and you’re asking for ₦1.7m” — Employer fumes over salary advance request

A employer has sparked widespread debate online after revealing that a staff member hired just a month earlier requested a salary advance of ₦1.7 million, an amount equivalent to about 17 months of pay.

The employer described the request as shocking and emblematic of what he called a growing culture of entitlement in the workplace.

Employer expresses shock over request

Sharing his experience, the employer said he initially assumed the request was a mistake.

“I sat there reading the email twice because surely there had to be a typo. Not ₦500k, not ₦700k. ₦1.7m.”

He noted that the employee was barely a month into the role and still undergoing basic assessment.

“We’re still at the stage where I’m trying to see if you even understand the role you were hired for,” he added.

Concerns about professional boundaries

The employer questioned how an employee could expect their workplace to function as a personal credit facility.

“You’re one month into a job. I barely know you. And somehow, in your mind, the most reasonable thing to do is to ask your employer to bankroll the next year and a half of your life,” he said.

According to him, such requests undermine trust and strain employer-employee relationships.

Wider reflections on work culture

He further disclosed that he consulted older business owners, who shared similar experiences, reinforcing his concerns about professional discipline.

The employer noted that after expanding recruitment to include foreign talent, he observed fewer issues of this nature.

“Discipline, restraint, and professional boundaries shouldn’t be things you have to teach adults,” he said, adding that such incidents often make founders more guarded over time.

The post has since triggered mixed reactions online, with some sympathising with the employer and others calling for better employee support systems.

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