AITA for not letting a coworker move in with me when she might become homeless?

In a cozy one-bedroom apartment, a 32-year-old woman cherishes her quiet space—until her workplace turns it into a battleground. When her coworker Aly faces potential homelessness and job loss, their supervisor shockingly suggests she move in, preaching “family culture” and community. But with a lease that bans sublets and no personal connection to Aly, the woman stands firm, sparking whispers and side-eyes from colleagues. Was her refusal heartless, or is her privacy worth defending?

Reddit’s buzzing with opinions on this workplace drama, where personal boundaries clash with professional pressure. As the tension simmers like a pot about to boil over, let’s dive into this tale of space, obligation, and the line between work and home that’s got everyone talking.

‘AITA for not letting a coworker move in with me when she might become homeless?’

When a supervisor tries to turn your home into a coworker’s safety net, things get awkward fast. Here’s the original Reddit post that’s stirring up the office chatter:

I (32 f) live alone in a 1 bedroom appartment. Recently a coworker, let's call them Aly, has been coming to my supervisor to talk and visit almost every shift. They've been talking about how Aly has had a downturn in job performance and might be laid off soon if things don't improve.

Aly is nice and outgoing but not reliable when it comes to office work. The past couple of days my supervisor has been very interested in my living situation. Always asking how the area is, how I decorate my space, and how my relationship is with the property management.

They have even started making comments about how lucky I am to live alone and how important community is. Yesterday after Aly's usual gossip visit my supervisor messaged me on the company chat asking if I knew of any open apartments that Aly could rent for cheap, when I told them that there are only a few appartments in my building and they are all occupied they asked me to come over to their desk for a talk.

It turns out that Aly's current roommates are breaking lease and she needs a place to stay. For over a half an hour they went on about how I could let her live with me and how good it would be to carpool, split expenses, and have company at home. I tried to keep the shocked look off my face as I told them, I felt for Aly and her situation but that I want to livr alone and that my lease doesn't allow sublets.

My supervisor got visibly upset by this and kept pushing how we need to take care of our own and I have all this space that I could surely share for a while. I repeated that I am not looking for a roommate and left to get back to work. Not long after Aly walked past looking very upset and got into a whispered argument with my supervisor before storming off.

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Ever since then several coworkers have started giving me the side eye and water cooler talk quickly turns to how we are a family culture here and how nice it is to work with careing people. So AITA for not taking in a coworker I don't really know when they might get fired soon?.

Saying no to a coworker moving in isn’t easy, especially when your boss is pushing “family culture” like it’s company policy. For this 32-year-old, her one-bedroom apartment is her sanctuary, not a shelter for Aly, a coworker facing job loss and homelessness. The supervisor’s half-hour pitch, ignoring lease terms and personal comfort, crossed a line, leaving the woman feeling cornered and colleagues casting judgmental glances.

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This situation highlights workplace boundaries and inappropriate pressure. A 2023 SHRM survey found 60% of employees feel uneasy when managers overstep into personal matters (Source). HR expert Alison Green advises, “Managers must respect employees’ personal lives; suggesting they house a coworker is wildly inappropriate” (Source). Green’s insight underscores the supervisor’s overreach, putting the woman in an unfair spot.

The woman could document the incident and report it to HR, calmly citing professional boundaries. Meanwhile, colleagues preaching “family” should step up themselves.

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Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

Reddit’s serving up a buffet of support for this woman’s stand, with users roasting the supervisor’s audacity and colleagues’ hypocrisy. Here’s what they had to say:

nevet − NTA. If they're so upset, she can move in with one of them. It's easy to be generous with other people's space, time, and money. They can all put up or shut up.

ClothesQueasy2828 − NTA. She sounds like the sort of person who would stay forever, not clean up after herself, eat all your food, and never pay rent. In addition, her needing a place to live has nothing to do with you, and you are not responsible for making sure she has a roof over her head. In addition, your supervisor is way out of line on this one.

I would document everything, and then contact HR. (You could hold onto the document and do nothing else right now, too.) I would also tell your coworkers that if they're so concerned about the 'family culture,' they should ask her to move into their homes.

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whereisourfarmpack − NTA but I’d go to HR. Not appropriate from your supervisor.

CrystalQueen3000 − NTA. Your boss massively overstepped in even asking you that. If she feels so bad for Aly then she can offer her own couch for her to stay on. So can all of the side eyeing, water cooler gossiping coworkers.

jammy913 − NTA. You don't have 'all that space' you live in a 1 bedroom apartment. And if she's 'not reliable when it comes to office work' then what makes you think she'd reliably pitch in for her half of the bills? Beyond that, you'd be breaking the terms of your lease, which is a legal contract.

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Whoever is telling you to 'take care of your own' should practice what they preach. Ask them why they don't allow her to live with them. Your space isn't meant to be shared with a roommate. It's a ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT for goodness sake.

jinx_lbc − NTA! Why does your supervisor think she has any right to say what should happen in your home?? If she feels that bad for the girl then she should let her stay with her. If your company is so big on family why aren't they ALL lining up to offer her somewhere until she sorts her s**t out?

PhilosopherInside956 − NTA. I would definitely be speaking to Human Resources because this oversteps so many professional boundaries. Your co-workers problem isn’t your problem, and I don’t see anyone else opening their doors to this person.

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thewhiterosequeen − Your supervisors are weirdly knowledgeable about everyone's living situation, and it's crossed a line. You are supposed to take care of your 'own' who is the person they plan to fire? None of this makes sense. Obvious NTA.

mummamai − nta. this is so inappropriate. if they cared so bad they would offer her a room there self. if this continuous go to hr and report. the entitlement is strong with them.

TR_Irisden − If your supervisor is so concerned with Aly’s living situation then Aly can move in with your supervisor. Try to get written evidence of this for potential backlash, as it will help greatly if you need to pursue legal action as a result of this.. NTA.

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These are the fiery takes from Reddit, but do they boil down the full story, or is there more to stir into this workplace stew?

This woman’s refusal to turn her apartment into a coworker’s crash pad sparked a workplace firestorm, but it’s hard to blame her for guarding her space. Her supervisor’s pushy “family culture” pitch crossed every professional line, and the office gossip only added fuel. A quick chat with HR might cool things down. Have you ever been pressured to mix work and personal life? What would you do in her shoes?

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