'I follow strict 8-9 hours': Techie's strict working hours spark workplace debate over flexibility

A techie’s Reddit post sparked debate over his strict 8-9 hour work routine.

A viral Reddit post has drawn attention after a techie shared that sticking to a strict 8-9-hour workday caused colleagues to dislike him, sparking debate about workplace discipline and flexibility.

A viral Reddit post claimed a techie’s disciplined schedule made colleagues frustrated. (Pexels/Representational Image)

In the post, the techie (@Sufficient_Example30) mentions that his colleagues think he is inflexible and difficult to work with because he insists on noting everything down and is not ready to take on new tasks outside his schedule.

Techie's strict working hours:

In the post, the techie explained that a timer on his laptop helps manage the workday. Usually, he works 8-9 hours, raises a pull request (PR) at 8:00 am, and documents tasks carefully. He takes notes in OneNote and sends minutes of meetings to keep everything clear.

He also explained that he avoids socialising during lunch, taking only an hour off before returning to work. He often declines meetings outside scheduled hours, focusing on tasks such as code reviews and other assigned work.

During a one-to-one discussion with his manager, he shared that colleagues see him as inflexible and difficult to work with.

According to the post, this is because he insists on documenting everything and is reluctant to take on tasks not on his work board.

“I do as per the design principles set up and the processes in place,” he wrote.

Check out the post here:

Screengrab of the Reddit post. (@Sufficient_Example30/Reddit)

Reddit reacts:

The post sparked debate online. Some Reddit users praised his discipline, while others argued that teamwork requires flexibility.

One of the users commented, “No one will have your back either way if you get sacked... Just don't be rude when declining.”

A second user commented, “I mean, not socialising at work is essentially a death sentence to your career unless you're indispensable in some way.”

“I wish there were more folks like you, but in this country, people want to gossip,” another commented.

Some users argued that teamwork requires flexibility and questioned whether strictly sticking to processes might harm collaboration.