Employee Sets Off Boss By Telling Coworkers That Balloon Release To Honor Late Colleague Is Bad For Environment

When you lose someone who mattered to you, you often feel compelled to find a way to honor their memory.

This could be by doing something simple, such as gathering together and telling stories.

Or in a grander gesture, one that requires time, planning, and money.

Of course, the grander gestures usually require the help of multiple people.

When even one person isn't on board with this plan, it could potentially derail it entirely.

A colleague of Redditor quinnismmm recently died unexpectedly. Naturally, the original poster (OP) and their coworkers wanted to find a meaningful way to honor this late colleague. Luckily, the OP's boss had an idea that everyone was in favor of.

Everyone, that is, except the OP.

Concerned their feelings might not have been justified, the OP took to the subReddit "Am I The A**hole Here?" (AITAH).

Unlike the similar "Am I The A**Hole" (AITA) subReddit, AITAH allows Redditors to ask for advice on issues that are not permitted on AITA, such as asking for advice or posting about ending relationships. Nor are voting acronyms required or a final judgment declared.

The OP asked fellow Redditors:

"AITAH for telling my boss balloon releases are environmentally unfriendly?"

The OP explained how they found themselves at odds with their colleagues:

"So about a week ago one of our coworkers passed away in a pretty tragic way."

"I only work with about 8 people so I consider them all family, yesterday we were talking to my coworkers mother and they came up with the idea to do a balloon release to honor our coworker and the first thing that came out of my mouth was 'balloon releases are terrible for the environment and wildlife, I don’t think people in this city would be very happy if they saw us do that'."

"We work in a very green liberal city."

"Everyone just stopped and stared at me, then my boss said, 'We aren’t asking for permission."

"I felt awkward, but I’m super big on keeping the environment clean and protecting wildlife."

Now my boss is annoyed with me, and I feel bad.

"Am I in the wrong?"

Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, with some using the voting acronyms:

• NTA – Not The A**hole
• YTA – You're The A**hole
• NAH – No A**holes Here
• ESH – Everyone Sucks Here

The Reddit community wholeheartedly agreed that the OP did the absolute right thing by expressing their concerns about a balloon release.

Everyone agreed that not only were the OP's points valid, but there were other legal and practical issues that the OP's boss and colleagues didn't seem to be taking into consideration:

"I used to have a small herd of goats."

"Two were killed when someone's balloon bouquet came down in my field and they choked on a couple of the deflated balloons."

"Tell your boss balloon releases kill animals."

"NTA."- Legion1117

"I say NTA, these things need to stop being normalized."- Responsible_Egg_2727

"Balloon releases are so bad."

"I'd suggest a candle vigil or something else."- Electrical_Cash8532

"Yes, please, kill some wildlife and leave trash in the wild in my honor."

"I feel dearly respected and remembered."

"NTA."- Impossible_Smile4113

"Big part of Georgia was just on fire bc of a balloon."

"I wouldn't go lol."- slimylobsters

"NTA and you might not be allowed to it."

"Suggest planting a tree or something."- Violet351

"I live next to a beautiful beach in the Scottish Highlands and often see people releasing balloons in someone's 'memory'."

"I don't care how much of a AH I sound, I almost always point out that's either going to end up killing wildlife or being picked up by the local volunteer litter pickers."

"I then list a few local charities for whom money donated in their loved ones name would have a far more positive impact for all."-Petrichor_ness

"You are correct."

"Check with your local government about legalities."- marypfra

"Just don’t release 99 red ones."- Buho45

"Suggestion for next time, you rightfully challenged because of environmental issues; however, you should’ve immediately offered another solution that would be more environmentally friendly, like maybe releasing the paper lanterns instead."

"It probably felt to them like you were more concerned about the environment than the death coworker."- Ughallthetime

"NTA."

"I cant believe that in 2026 people are still thinking that balloon releases are the thing to do."- hwilliams0901

"NTA in 1986 Cleveland released 1.5 million balloons and is considered an ecological disaster."

"Balloons should never be released on purpose."- shreddnaught

"You are not wrong, but am I understanding that the mother of your late coworker was a part of this discussion?"

"If so, perhaps a bit of discretion in the face of a grieving mother might have been appropriate?"- BothReading1229

"You're correct, of course, but maybe under the circumstances it wasn't the best time and place to take a stand."

"Might have gone over better had offered another suggestion and then explained why instead of making it a criticism."-misstheolddaysfan

"NTA."

"Balloon releases are terrible, and people really need to stop doing that."

"You're not wrong."- dangerous_skirt65

"Absolutely NTA."

"I live 30 miles north of a major city on a good piece of property."

"During the summer, the area gets wind from the south."

"I am constantly picking up deflated balloons all around my property as are the neighbors."

"We have even seen a deer with one caught on his antlers (he probably tried to fight the shiny thing I'm the bushes)."

"The worst time was when someone had a wedding or something and released what seemed to be thousands of paper lantern things."

"THEY WERE EVERYWHERE."

"In the local lakes, on people's roofs, in the trees, in hay fields, literally everywhere."

"So thank you for voicing the harm this causes."- FitSky6277

"NTA, you are correct."

"Don’t feel badly for saying something."- Old_Interview_5856

"NTA."

"There is NEVER a reason for a balloon release and it should be illegal EVERYWHERE."- emryldmyst

"So many other ways to pay tribute that are better for the environment."

"Maybe suggest planting a tree in their memory."

"NTA."- RefrigeratorNo686

"Im pretty sure its illegal is several areas."

"If you are in a green city - I bet it is there too."

"I live in Delaware - its illegal in our whole state."- Outside_Holiday_9997

"Our state just made balloon release illegal for that reason."

"You are NTA but your boss is."- Flimsy-Field-8321

"NTA."

"You also pointed out the potential harm to the business reputation."- chasingjulian

"You are not wrong."

"I was a sailor for 7 years and i saw balloons floating around the ocean nearly every day."

"Your coworkers can honor their friend without killing sea creatures."- hlfshaveflopynutsack

"NTA."

"Good for you for speaking up, even if they didn't take it well."

"If someone did a balloon release in my memory I'd haunt them so hard."

"They'd never get another peaceful night's sleep without me banging kitchen cabinet doors and shaking my gory locks at them."- Classic-Wafer-7838

"Balloon releases are horrible."

"They pollute the land, they waste helium, which is a finite resource, and they kill animals who accidentally ingest them."

"There are much better ways to honor someone."

'They're stupid if they do this. Is there a nearby body of water -- a lake or large pond?"

"I've seen people who paint flat stones in someone's memory, then skip the stones on the water."

"It's called a Ripple Ceremony."

"The video I found used stones made from the compressed remains after a person is cremated, but you could do it with any flat stones."

"Each person writes something on their stone before skipping it onto the water."- JanetInSpain

"NTA."

"By honoring someone with balloons you are also killing wildlife."

"Odd that people want to honor a life by causing death."

"In my state balloon releases are illegal and thank goodness."

"Since the balloon ban I haven't found any balloons floating in Long Island sound or floating down the river behind my house."

"I used to rage every time I picked one out of the water."- Intelligent-Deal2449

"NTA."

"Balloon releases are illegal in some places."- MrsEarthern

"A small office of less than 10, your beloved coworker died in a very tragic way, everybody must be very upset."

"Perhaps apologize, acknowledge this is a difficult and tragic situation."

"Collectively come up ideas that you all agree with."- Pretend-Judgment-506

"NTA, you can do a butterfly release instead."

"I work at a funeral home, and we do these all the time, and they're very beautiful, much better than balloons imo."

"Just make sure the butterflies you get won't be considered e invasive to where you are."- weirdo0808

"NTA."

'In many places that's illegal now."- Cybermagetx

"NTA, I'm surprised more people aren't aware of the dangers of balloon releases."

"Can you possibly give the idea of tree planting organizations?"

"Hopefully, more of your co-workers will read up on the release idea and nix it."

"Good for you for saying something early to try to stop it."- fraurodin

It's nice that the OP's coworkers want to honor their late colleague.

That they seem almost obstinately set on honoring him with a balloon release is a bit less sweet, though.

As one might imagine, he would be touched by any honor.

Especially in a way that didn't cause environmental harm.