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Lawyer says Gen Z intern refused 9 am court duty because of gym schedule: 'Not sure if I’m his senior or his junior'
A lawyer's X post about an intern initially declining a 9 am court assignment because of his gym schedule has sparked a discussion about work-life balance.
A lawyer has sparked a debate over workplace expectations after claiming that a Gen Z intern refused to report to court at 9 AM because the assignment clashed with his gym schedule.
Sharing the incident on X, the lawyer said that she had asked the intern to reach the court by 9 am to manage some work. However, the intern told her that it would not be possible as he had to go to the gym. The intern later agreed to take up the assignment as a "one-time exception", the lawyer claimed.
"Told an intern to reach Court by 9 AM to manage some work. He said that won't be possible, as he has to go the gym and agreed to do it as a one-time exception," the lawyer wrote in the X post.
"At this point, I'm not sure if I'm his senior, his junior, or his personal assistant. Can't normalise this," she added.
(Also Read: Founder says 1,290 applied for internship, none hired yet at his startup: 'Almost nobody wants to prove...')
What did social media say?
The post triggered a discussion among social media users, with some criticising the intern for allegedly prioritising his gym routine over a work responsibility, while others argued that setting boundaries around work hours was reasonable.
Reacting to the post, one user shared, "I once had a junior who instructed me to assign him files only in one particular court which he somehow found comfortable. It motivated me to work hard to find cases in that particular court so that my beloved junior could go to court."
Another questioned whether the intern was being compensated for an early start. "Is this a rage bait?? Cuz here we go..Are you paying him extra to compensate for early check in? The junior-personal assistance comment is so triggering. The sheer lack of self-awareness/entitlement is something else. And yes you should be glad he is making an exception for you," the comment read.
Responding to the criticism, the lawyer clarified that the issue was not the intern going to the gym. "No one said 9 AM is an early check in, its court and briefing. And yes, our interns are compensated and reimbursed as well. The issue isn't the gym. It's calling a basic work responsibility a one-time exception while making your seniors feel like they should be grateful for it," she wrote.
The incident also prompted comparisons with the demanding nature of a legal career. "How will he manage a legal career unless he is a legacy? Lawyers I know work on Sunday from office and take naps there only," one user wrote.
"Too complacent attitude. I was a gym freak in my internship days too but had to sacrifice that. I don't know when are people going to realize that work is equally important too," commented another.
"Isn't 9 AM the normal working time for people in court? I went to court more than a few times and I see people coming in around 8-830 AM. Even if court starts at 10 AM like in some places, isn't it regular for people to reach office by 9 to get things in order? Peak unseriousness," said another.
However, some defended the intern's response. "With due respect, the fact that you had to specifically ask means it isn't the norm, implying an exception. You also have to consider that they may have a schedule that doesn't cater to it,family responsibilities, dropping someone off, etc. So, he isn't wrong to call it one time," wrote one user.
