Woman reveals her bosses’ very different reactions to news she needed time off to care for dying sister

‘There were flames inside me roasting myself from the inside out’, said make-up artist of response from her second job

TikTok user Hillary Zinks explains how her bosses reacted to news of her sister’s hospitalisation (TikTok/Hillary Zinks)

A make-up artist and TikTok personality has revealed how she quit her job because of a boss’ reaction to her visiting her dying sister in hospital.

Hillary Zinks told BuzzFeed in an interview last month that she was working on the set of a TV series as a make-up and effects artist when she received a call about her sister, who had just been declared brain dead.

The TikTokker was also working at a local resort as a waitress – which she quit after comparing the reactions of her two bosses to her sister’s hospitalisation.

While the boss of the TV series told her to “never let a job get in the way of life” and to “do whatever I need to do”, Ms Zinks said, her boss at a local resort said she was disheartened at the “late notice” when Ms Zinks said she could not work.

“I was angry and upset about it the rest of the drive,” the make-up artist said.

“The closer I got to the hospital, the more I realised how her behaviour was absolutely unacceptable and I couldn’t work under her any longer.”

She later shared her story on TikTok, where she said people “don’t need to work for people who barely see us as humans with emotions and families.”

The viral video also featured screengrabs of her conversation with her second boss, who questioned why Ms Zinks had given “only two hours notice” of her sister’s situation.

“I was fuming”, she told her TikTok followers. “There were flames inside me roasting myself from the inside out. [And] I told her that I told my other boss already so to mind her own businesses and I don’t give a damn.”

The TikTok went viral, with many people sharing their own experiences of bosses and family illness or trauma.

“Ooohhh please tell us what restaurant this was. I’m BEGGING!” one TikTok user wrote.

“Your career boss is amazing, the other job can indeed SUCK IT!” added another. “As a previous manager, I would have understood completely and made sure you were ok.”

Ms Zinks added in the interview that her old boss no longer works at the resort and that a ”supervisor asked about my sister and I let him know she died that weekend. His heart sank for me.”

“He then offered me my job back. I gave myself a few weeks to grieve and then let him know that I’d come back. My sister died as a hero, donating four of her organs,” she added.

“I hope that anyone who has that type of experience has the means and courage to quit,” Ms Zinks said. “I hope any managers that would have done something similar would now take a step back and learn from her mistakes”.

Information about her employers was withheld.