A Reddit post is gaining attention after a job seeker shared their decision to walk out of a job interview following a single, surprising question.

The original poster (OP) shared that the hiring manager's first question -- about unpaid overtime -- let the candidate know right away that it wasn't the right fit. Since the post was published, it has received 43,000 upvotes.

Newsweek spoke to Katie Hostasa, a leadership coach with over 20 years of experience working in corporate America, about workplace boundaries, and whether or not the OP was right to walk away.

The OP wrote that they had been excited about the position -- which had a great job description, decent pay and positive company reviews. That was, until the deal-breaking question was asked.

"How do you handle working unpaid overtime?" they asked.

"I literally laughed, thinking it was a joke," the OP wrote. "But the interviewer just stared at me, waiting for an answer."

The OP stood up and said: "Thank you for your time, but this isn't the right fit for me," and walked out, later questioning whether they had made the right choice.

But Redditors were overwhelmingly convinced that the person had done the right thing.

"They basically started the interview asking 'Are you ok with the company taking advantage of you?' You made the right decision," one person wrote.

"Flawless victory," another added. "Don't question it for a second."

Red Flags and Healthy Boundaries

Hostasa, founder of KMH Leadership, weighed in on the situation and offered her thoughts on how unpaid overtime can affect employee well-being.

She said that expecting employees to work unpaid overtime can lead to negative feelings about work and well-being.

"Any human would objectively have issues with giving away free labor -- it's a strange ask for a company to make in the first place," Hostasa said. "Expecting employees to work unpaid overtime can lead to burnout, resentment and lower job satisfaction. It signals that the company doesn't value employees' time, which can negatively impact engagement and retention."

While the decision to walk out may have been a strong boundary-setting move, Hostasa also posed an interesting question: "Is this how they want to handle all discomfort in life? When something feels off, do they want to be the type of person who walks away, or do they want to engage differently in those moments?"

She explained that, had the candidate stayed and asked follow-up questions, they could have gained more insight into the company's culture.

Hostasa also shared key red flags candidates should watch for when discussing work-life balance in interviews.

One major sign is "vague or evasive language around expectations." She recommended candidates be vigilant about companies that frame excessive overtime as a "badge of honor" rather than an occasional necessity. If employees are expected to "do whatever it takes" without clear boundaries, it's a sign of potential burnout culture.

While the OP walking straight out might seem drastic, it's clear that they stood firm on their boundaries -- they did not settle for a position that didn't align with their values, even if it meant walking away after just one question.