Vault: He Lied To His Boss But For Good Reason

Summary

The Bert Show – “Vault: He Lied To His Boss But For Good Reason”

Date: December 11, 2025
Host: The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy & Team)
Main Theme:
Dilemmas at the intersection of personal life and work—specifically, whether it’s justifiable to lie to your boss to prioritize family, and how the nature of the lie affects the ethical stakes.

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Episode Overview

This episode features a caller, Larry, who shares the moral quagmire he faced after lying to his boss in order to attend his son's school event. The Bert Show team and listeners weigh in on the ethics, parental priorities, and the emotional fallout that comes from “white lies” of varying gravity—particularly when those lies involve invoking emergencies or illness related to family. The discussion explores not just whether it’s wrong to lie, but whether a lie’s specific content (i.e., saying your child is in the ER) impacts its moral weight.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

[01:33–02:21] – Introduction to the Dilemma

• Bert (Host D): Introduces the recurring segment about personal dilemmas and calls for listener input.

  "We've all been in this situation before where we're struggling with some kind of scruples like dilemma..." [01:33]

• Larry (Caller E): Describes his situation: torn between mandatory work event and his son's school show, he fabricates an emergency to get out of work.

[02:21–04:12] – The Confession

• Larry: Outlines how he waited until the last minute, felt cornered, and “charged into his boss’s office” with the excuse that his son was in the emergency room.

  "I told him, I just got a call. My boy was in the emergency room. Ever since then...I'm waiting for a phone call where...my poor baby's in the emergency room." [03:04]

[04:12–05:53] – Team’s Reactions: Family vs. Honesty

• Bert / Cassie (D/A): Team debates: Is it justified to lie for family? Is using a serious excuse (like the ER) going too far?

  "Lying, you know, isn't always the right thing. But I think he did the right thing because he put his family first.” – Cassie [04:27]

• Bert: Raises question of how the magnitude of the lie affects its justification:

  “What if it was a bigger lie than that? What if it was an emergency room...What if he said he thinks that his son has come down with cancer?” [04:43]

• Abby (C): Pushes perspective: Would Larry be more upset if he missed his son's play?

[05:53–06:35] – Guilt and Karma

• Larry: Expresses anxiety not about the lie itself, but about the “karma” of invoking a family emergency.

  “See, I'm thinking like, it's the whole karma thing. Since I put it out there in the world, I'm bound to get this phone call now.” [05:53]

• Cassie: Asks if the boss would have let Larry go had he told the truth.
• Larry: Sure his boss would have said no and the excuse was necessary.

[06:35–08:24] – Listeners Weigh In: Creativity in Excuses and Consequences

• Christina (Caller F): Asks what Larry told his boss the next day.
• Larry:

  “I said he got hit by a car.” [07:06]

• Bert / Others: Express concern that the explanation “stretched the lie a little too far.”

  “That's a crappy lie.” – Several voices [07:19]

• Cassie: Worries about needing more drastic excuses in the future.

  “How many accidents can your kid… walk out in front of?” [08:24]

[08:24–09:19] – More Listener Insights: The Reality of Working Parents

• Robbie (Caller F): Shares perspective as a single parent—can’t risk telling the truth because employers penalize prioritizing family.

  “When they do a review… they penalize you for it because you’re not making the job a priority.” [08:38]

• On Karma: Robbie avoids “fatal” lies but would use “car trouble” or other creative excuses.

[09:19–10:32] – Gender, Work Environments & The Justification

• Bert: Asks if Larry’s boss would meet his son and discover the lie—Larry says it’s unlikely.

  “Young boys, their bones heal quickly these days. It's milk...” [09:27]

• Jeremy (Caller H): Military father—says the end justifies the means:

  “You gain so much more by spending with your son. And if you come back and you get hit, it's not him that's going to get hit, it's you.” [10:32]

• Cassie: Sums up: “So the end justifies the means.”

[10:32–11:04] – Resolution and Reflection

• Bert: Concludes that nobody was harmed, and Larry’s conscience should be a little clearer.

  “You didn't harm anybody here. You just told something that was…” [10:43]

• Larry: Thanks the team, leaves with slightly more peace of mind.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Larry:

  “I'm waiting...for my poor baby's in the emergency room.” [03:04]

• Cassie:

  “Lying, you know, isn't always the right thing. But I think he did the right thing because he put his family first.” [04:27]

• Larry (on follow-up):

  “I said he got hit by a car.” [07:06]

• Robbie (listener):

  “Because when they do a review for a promotion...they penalize you for it because you're not making the job a priority.” [08:38]

• Jeremy (listener):

  “You set a lie so that you could spend time with your son...[if something bad comes] it's you. I mean, not to say you're going to get hit. But you're the one that made the line, not your son.” [10:32]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:33 – Introduction to dilemma segment
• 02:21 – Larry’s story begins
• 03:04 – Larry details the fabricated ER emergency
• 04:27 – Hosts’ moral debate begins
• 05:53 – Larry on karma and guilt
• 07:06 – Larry admits to lying about a car accident
• 08:38 – Robbie’s working parent perspective
• 10:32 – Jeremy justifies the means by the ends

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Tone and Takeaways

• Conversational, humorous, and supportive: The cast jokes about the extremes one might go to (“...his son has been exorcised by demon aliens…”), while always circling back to the importance of family and empathy for working parents.
• Realistic: Listeners and hosts recognize the tough choices many face balancing work and kids, and agree that sometimes the workplace leaves little alternative.
• Main Message: While "white lies" at work aren’t ideal, many agree the intent—to support a child—matters most. The group, with some reservation about the severity of the excuse, ultimately supports Larry’s decision to be present for his son.

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For anyone who struggles with drawing boundaries between work and family—or weighing “harmless” lies for the greater good—this episode offers laughter, camaraderie, and sincere debate about doing right by the people who matter most.

Transcript

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[D]

Purch the Bird Show We've all been in this situation before where we're struggling with some kind of scruples like dilemma where you know you can ask half of your friends what you should do in this situation. They'll give you one answer and half give you the other because there's no like really clear line of right or wrong. And we go through these a lot. A lot. We know you guys struggle with them also. So we're asking you to give us a call. Tell us what this dilemma is that you're struggling with. We'll give you our opinions and we'll take calls from listeners also. Maybe you walk away and have a little better understanding of what you should do Right. Good morning, Larry. You're on all the hits. Q100.

[E]

What's up, guys?

[D]

Hey, tell us, man. How are you, dude? Sound a little beat up. Larry, you all right, man?

[E]

I'm a little beat up.

[D]

What's going on?

[E]

I'm losing sleep over this one, so.

[A]

All right.

[E]

I really need your help.

[D]

All right.

[E]

A couple weeks back, my. My ex informs me that our. Our son is doing a, you know, a little school show there.

[A]

Huh?

[E]

So I'm a good dad. You know, I don't miss stuff like that. So I put it down on my schedule that I was gonna, you know, be there for him. I wanted to see him do his little show. So I was getting closer to the day there. And head honcho over where I work decides that he's gonna entertain some clients the night of the show, of course. So I'm still trying to be the good dad. And the last thing I want to do is hear it from my. My, you know, ex. Cause she's such a sweetheart.

So I'm thinking, hey, all right, I gotta be there, so I gotta find a way out of this thing. You know, I can't. You know, I can't miss this show. So I charge right into my boss's office. I waited till the day of the show. I mean, I knew about it a couple days before. I knew that I had this conflict, you know, But I figured I couldn't bring it up. I couldn't think of a way to, you know, approach the situation. So I marched right into my boss's office and I told him. Told him, I just got a call and I had to go. Had to go see if my son was okay. It was the first thing that came out of my mouth. And he said, well, what's wrong? And I got sweated and nervous. And I think it was because I knew what I was about to do. And I told him. I told him, I just got a call. My boy was in the emergency room. Ever since then, I mean, I wanted to go see the show, you know, and I did. I went to see the show. It was really cute. I didn't miss anything. I didn't have to deal with any clients that night. But ever since then, I swear, I'm waiting. Waiting for your kid to get run over or something. I'm waiting for a phone call where this. Where my poor baby's in the emergency room.

[D]

So what you're struggling with is not only the lie, but the lie that you told has your kid in the emergency room, and you're not sure. If you did the right thing by using that as the excuse.

[C]

Right.

[D]

404-741-1005. Where do you guys stand?

[A]

I think that. I gotta say I think he did the right thing. Because now, lying, you know, isn't always the right thing. But I think he did the right thing because he put his family first. And in one way or another, he made his family and his son a priority rather than work.

[D]

Okay, but. Okay, now. And you're saying using the emergency room excuse is okay, but what if it was a bigger lie than that? What if it was an emergency room. What if he said he thinks that his son has come down with cancer and they have a doctor's appointment to go to?

[C]

Well, that's not the scenario we're talking about.

[D]

But I'm one. Well, we're talking about. No, no. Cause what you're talking about. What if he says his son is dead? His entire family has been wiped out.

[A]

His son has been exorcised by the demon alien.

[D]

What I'm trying to get at is, like, the size of the illness thing here. Does that make any difference in the decision of it being a good liar.

[C]

Or a bad lie? Well, I think more importantly, Larry, would you be losing sleep and upset if you had made the opposite decision? Like, if you had missed your son's play? And would you be losing sleep over and stressed out about it? Because if you wouldn't be, then, I mean, my concern is the fact that you might be a little more. The family should always come first. I mean, you missing that son's play would have had a lot more damage on him than you missing a client meeting with your boss. Your boss ain't gonna think twice about it. See, he's not.

[D]

You're not so much struggling with the lie. What you're struggling with is. Is the subject of the lie.

[E]

Right, exactly. See, I'm thinking like, it's the whole karma thing. Since I put it out there in the world, I'm bound to get this phone call now.

[C]

I mean.

[D]

Yeah, I hear you.

[A]

Now, does your. Like, would your boss have let you go if you said, hey, my son's play is tonight?

[E]

Like, that's the weird thing in my head. When I walked in there, there was no way. If I said, well, my baby's gotta play, he'd have been like, well, you know, tough that you gotta. You got work to do.

[A]

You think that's what he would have said?

[E]

Yeah, I mean, I had it worked out that, you know, as soon as I went in there, that if I brought it to the table like that, that he wasn't going to be helping me out.

[D]

Then I probably do the same thing. Yeah. I don't think that I would feel so bad about it if I were you. I gotta be honest.

[E]

Really.

[D]

Christina. Good morning. You're on all the hits Q100.

[F]

Hey, I wanted to ask him when he got back to work the next day, what did he tell his boss was wrong with his son while he was in the emergency room?

[A]

Larry.

[F]

Larry, Is he there?

[E]

I was afraid someone was going to ask.

[D]

Oh, what did you say?

[F]

Is he gone?

[D]

No, there.

[E]

He said he's afraid somebody's going to ask.

[C]

He's afraid to answer.

[F]

Yeah, what did he say?

[D]

Yeah, what you say, Larry?

[E]

I said he got hit by a car.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[F]

That'S a crappy lie. He said he was sick or something, but like a traffic accident.

[C]

Larry, I think you're.

[A]

That's a crappy lie.

[G]

Your boss isn't buying that.

[D]

Anyway, you don't understand.

[E]

I had pictures and everything from when he had just hurt his arm and he was Larry. So I brought that picture.

[F]

Oh, see, I think you took that lie. You stretched it a little too far.

[D]

You see, this is my initial point right here. You're going to have to get yourself hit by a car and take the karma off. All right, Larry. Good morning, Tina. You're on all the hits Q100.

[F]

Hey, how are you this morning?

[D]

Good.

[E]

How are you?

[F]

I just want to tell Larry that yes, maybe it was a little stretch the story that he told, but in the real world, that's what you have to do. I'm a single mother of two, and the thing that bothers me the most is that their father can never come to anything they do because 99% of the time, his boss won't let him off work.

[D]

Yeah, I don't think Larry's saying here that he feels bad about lying. I think that he feels bad that the lie was that his kid. Kid got hit by a car and is in the emergency room, and he.

[C]

Came up with pictures.

[D]

Dude, you are good. No, he's bad.

[C]

No, I mean, I'm worried. I'm worried that what Larry's gonna have to do the next time his son has something he needs to go to.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, how many accidents can your kid. How many cars can your kid walk out in front of? Good morning, Robbie. You're on all the hits Q100.

[F]

Hi, this is Robbie. Good morning. I just wanted to say that I think the guy was perfectly right. Because as a. As a single parent, I never tell the. That my child has something at school or anything like that. Because when they do a review for a promotion or your yearly raise, they keep that in mind. And they penalize you for it because you're not making the job a priority. And they want somebody who's a go getter. Who's gonna make work a priority.

[D]

Robbie does. Now that the lie doesn't bother you, does the subject of the lie bother you?

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

I probably wouldn't use something so fatal like the emergency room, because I believe in that karma thing too.

[D]

Right.

[F]

I'd probably be a little more creative. I could use the car problem, you know, just. I'd probably use a little more creativity.

[D]

Hey, Larry, is there any chance that your boss will encounter your son in the near future and ask him how he's feeling?

[E]

No, there's no chance of that.

[D]

Well, you know, young boys, their bones heal quickly these days. It's milk. I tell you, he's my son, he's my stock. And they forget, right, because they got.

[E]

Run over by a car.

[D]

Hey, Jeremy, you'll be the last call on this, man.

[H]

Okay.

[D]

What's up?

[H]

What's up, man? I just have to say I completely agree with what he did as a man in the working place. I work for the military, so it's a lot different. If my son were to get hurt, I couldn't go in and say that he's hurt. I mean, you have to. It just seems to me that they're a lot more lenient.

Towards. Different, not, I guess, single working mothers versus fathers and stuff like that. Like my wife and I, it's a lot more convenient for me to get him, but for me, I would have to come up with something like that. And I don't think that it's going to come around to get you. Because the time that you get to spend with your son is going to be so much more valuable than the time that you lose with a client. So I think he did the right thing.

[C]

So what you're saying is you think his karma is okay because of the reason he made the effort?

[H]

I mean, personally, I think so. I think karma has to do with doing bad deeds. You set a lie so that you could spend time with your son.

[C]

So the end justifies the means.

[H]

I mean, in my opinion, you gain so much more by spending with your son. And if you come back and you get hit, it's not him that's going to get hit, it's you. I mean, not to say you're going to get hit. But you're the one that made the line, not your son.

[D]

No, that's a great point. You know, because you didn't harm anybody here. You just told something that was or.

[C]

Is the drama teacher that's going to get hit for having to play in the first place.

[E]

Why can't my boss just get hit by a car?

[D]

You can always arrange that, man. All right, Larry, I hope you got a little bit more of a clear conscience on this thing.

[E]

I appreciate it.

[A]

No worries, Larry.

[D]

No worries. All right, dude. Thanks for calling. Take care.

[E]

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