An employee has sparked a workplace debate after revealing that his boss recently raised concerns over him working around 15 minutes short of the expected eight-hour workday, despite completing all his assigned tasks on time.
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Sharing the situation on Reddit, the man explained that he typically arrives at work around 7.30 am and leaves at 4 pm while taking a lunch break of roughly 45 minutes. According to him, the office generally has a flexible approach towards lunch breaks, which led him to believe the small difference in working hours was unlikely to be an issue.
‘Never thought those extra 15 minutes mattered’
“Boss recently pulled me aside because I’ve apparently been working about 15 minutes short of 8 hours a day. I usually get in around 7:30, leave at 4, and take roughly a 45-minute lunch. Our office is pretty flexible about lunch, and I get all my work done on time or early, so I honestly never thought those extra 15 minutes mattered that much,” he wrote.
However, after being told that the matter needed to be discussed, the employee said he was unsure about how to handle the conversation without appearing defensive or entitled.
{{/usCountry}}However, after being told that the matter needed to be discussed, the employee said he was unsure about how to handle the conversation without appearing defensive or entitled.
{{/usCountry}}“Now I’m being told we need to talk about it, and I’m trying to figure out how to approach the conversation without sounding entitled. I don't want to bring up coworkers or complain about office politics,” the post continued.
He then asked whether it would be better to simply acknowledge the misunderstanding and shorten his lunch break or explain that his work performance had not been affected.
“Should I just admit I misunderstood the expected hours and start taking a shorter lunch, or is it reasonable to point out that my work is getting done? What would you say or do to your boss in this situation?”
The post was shared with the title, “My boss says I’m not working a full 8 hours a day. Am I actually in the wrong?”
Check out the post here:
Reddit users weigh in
The post drew reactions from users who offered different perspectives on the situation. One person advised, “Just take a 30-minute lunch and avoid the headache.” Another wrote, “If they are paying you for eight hours, they can reasonably expect eight hours.”
“Work slower, sadly this is how things work in many jobs,” one user commented. Another suggested keeping the conversation simple, writing, “Don’t argue. Say you misunderstood the expectation, fix it and move on.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)