A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn for a QA role. The position sounded interesting, although full on-site, it was conveniently close to where I live, so I gave it a try. During the first conversation with the People Team, I was honest about something that matters deeply to me: flexibility. As a mother, I believe I should be able to occasionally leave a little earlier to pick up my children or support their needs — especially when it comes to things like therapy appointments every Friday. The response? “That would be a deal breaker.” I was told the company works strictly from 9AM to 6PM, and if someone leaves earlier, every single minute must be compensated later. Even leaving 15 minutes earlier was described as a major exception. They continued highlighting the benefits package, but at that point, I realized something important: For me, the real deal breaker is a lack of flexibility, trust, and empathy for people and specially after I mentioned I have a neurodivergent son, that requires support and of course he will not drive to the therapy! I fully respect structure, accountability, and working hours. But in 2026, especially in technology, supporting employees with real-life responsibilities should not feel like asking for special treatment. Flexibility is not about working less. It’s about working like a human being. Are we replacing AI for human feelings?? Anyway… red flag identified early !