Scott Kuru, CEO of Freedom Property Investors, opened LinkedIn one day in January 2023 and decided to share some hiring advice. “Never hire anyone that’s looking for work-life balance,” he wrote.
The backlash was immediate and comprehensive.
Kuru tried to clarify. “I am not against work-life balance. Balance is important. You cannot perform at high levels unless you have all the areas in your life in harmony.” But then he kept going. “Most people, not all, but most people that say ‘I’m looking for work-life balance’ are not driven to grow and therefore are not committed to improvement and or being super committed to the companies goals.”
He also claimed that companies offering four-day workweeks only attract people who have “given up on their growth” and end up building “teams and companies of B players and low performers.”
The comments section became a masterclass in professional disagreement.
Michael Kowalczyk, an investment property strategist, wrote: “As an active father of 3 kids under 5, I’m a firm believer an individual can maintain a healthy work-life balance and perform at a high level. If your employee is able to produce the same results in 3/4 days worth of work, as what another can accomplish in 5 days, then I’d favor to hire that employee.” He added that too many people work hard for decades only to reach retirement “and regret not being to maintain that balance.”
Ryan Scott, CEO of PLC, pointed out that “work-life balance” isn’t a negative term. “It’s in fact a statement of intent that people are now more mindful of balancing their life rather than only serving one aspect of it (career).”
The post went viral across multiple platforms. Reddit’s antiwork subreddit tore it apart. Bored Panda covered it. YourTango ran a piece pointing out that a December 2020 study found 76% of workers were experiencing burnout, and that employees who maintain a balanced life actually work 21% harder than those who are overworked.
After the pile-on, Kuru posted a follow-up attempting damage control. “The term ‘work-life balance’ is often misunderstood,” he wrote, explaining that he does offer flexible schedules and encourages his team to take time off when needed. He also emphasized that people have “freedom of choice” and can find companies better suited to their priorities.
The whole thing perfectly captured a disconnect that’s been widening for years. Workers increasingly recognize that burnout is real, that life outside work matters, and that productivity doesn’t require sacrificing everything else. Meanwhile, some employers still operate like it’s 1995 and the ability to work 80-hour weeks is a virtue rather than a health crisis waiting to happen.
Kuru’s LinkedIn is still active, still posting hustle-culture content about growth and sacrifice and momentum. The work-life balance post, meanwhile, lives on as a cautionary tale about what happens when you tell the internet that wanting balance makes someone a “B player.”
