AITA for not telling a customer the days and hours that my employee works?

A 32-year-old small business owner politely declined to share his 25-year-old female employee’s work schedule with a customer in her upper 50s who had only visited the shop once or twice. The woman became upset and argumentative, insisting it was unprofessional and claiming she’d have been fired for refusing such a request at a large company. He stood firm, citing privacy and safety concerns for his employee during their long 10-hour solo shifts.

The owner worries if he overstepped or mishandled the situation, especially since the customer reacted so strongly and pushed back hard. Many regulars know both him and his employee well, but this stranger’s insistence felt off, leading him to prioritize his staff member’s security over customer demands.

‘AITA for not telling a customer the days and hours that my employee works?’

He runs a small shop with one employee, and they often work long solo shifts:

When she asked directly for the employee’s days and hours, he refused:

The core issue here is employee privacy and workplace safety versus customer convenience. The owner correctly recognized that sharing detailed work schedules with strangers can expose staff—especially women working alone for long hours—to potential stalking, harassment, or worse. In small businesses, owners have a duty of care to protect employees, and refusing to disclose personal information like schedules is standard best practice, not rudeness.

Some might argue the owner could have been more accommodating, like offering to pass along a message or taking contact details for the employee to decide. Yet the customer’s aggressive reaction and lack of any reasonable explanation (no note, no message request, just insistence) made that risky. Her claim about large companies firing people for this is inaccurate—most corporations have strict policies prohibiting the release of employee personal information to protect against liability and safety risks.

Workplace safety consultant and author Kim Scott (known for “Radical Candor”) stresses that leaders must prioritize team well-being: “Protecting your people isn’t optional—it’s leadership.” Here, the owner’s refusal was protective leadership, not unprofessionalism. The customer’s extreme pushback actually validates the caution—normal requests don’t escalate like that.

For the future, the owner could implement a simple policy: “We don’t share staff schedules for privacy reasons, but happy to take a message or let her know you stopped by.” This maintains professionalism while setting clear boundaries. He should also inform his employee about the incident so she can stay alert. Small actions like this build trust and safety in the workplace—far more important than pleasing one demanding customer.

These are the responses from Reddit users:

The Reddit community overwhelmingly supported the owner, praising him for prioritizing employee safety and privacy:

Most emphasized that protecting staff comes first, and the customer’s reaction was suspicious:

This story underscores a vital truth in small business: owners have a real responsibility to safeguard their employees, especially in one-on-one settings. Refusing to share personal details with strangers isn’t rude—it’s responsible. The customer’s over-the-top reaction only highlights why such caution is necessary.

What do you think? Have you ever had to protect someone’s privacy at work? Would you have handled this the same way, or offered a different compromise? Share your experiences below!