[nickff]

You are looking at this issue from a moral/ethical lens, while I am looking at it from a game theory perspective.

I am not making a judgement as to who is at fault for the situation. I am only stating that the decisive move was the grandparent's e-mail, which left the employer only one rational option (that I know of).

[pmiller2]

You seem to be making an argument for unionization in the tech industry, then.

[romwell]

The rational option is to grant the employee a (possibly unpaid) leave in such circumstances.

What does Samsung stand to gain from this? They lost an employee (which will cost them in recruiting when they open up again) and gained bad reputation (and a disgruntled former employee).

This is power play that hurts everyone.