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Office drama brews as leadership frustrated by employees leaving at 4 pm: ‘They say they’re busy’
A Reddit post about employees leaving the office at 4 pm instead of 5 pm has sparked a conversation about workplace culture on Reddit.
A manager’s post about how to ask the staff to stay until 5 pm at the office and not leave early, as part of an instruction from upper management, has sparked an intense discussion on Reddit. Many came up with ways, asking the manager to give a clear picture to the employees about the leadership’s decision instead of appearing as the one who has set up this rule.
“My whole staff leaves early every day. Rarely is there someone there at 5 pm. We are salaried and office hours are 8:30-5, but it’s rare people are there before 9,” the manager wrote on Reddit.
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The individual added, “That all said, I don’t care as long as they finish their work. It irritates me when they complain they are ‘so busy’ but then all leave, get there at 9, take an hour lunch and leave at 4 but whatever. They are all adults who do good work in the end so.”
However, the leadership instructed the manager that employees should stay till 5. The manager continued, “I feel like a boomer telling people to work until 5, but seriously, that is the bare minimum and what they are contracted to do!? Am I being a boomer? How can I turn the ship around? Do I care?”
What did social media say?
An individual wrote, “You should be honest with the teammates that upper management has noticed them all leaving early, and you can’t do anything to protect them if they decide to take action. ‘I try to be flexible as long as the work is getting done, but since everyone leaves early daily, it’s become obvious to upper management. They are asking questions and have told me their expectations are you are here until 5. If you choose to keep leaving early, I want you to have all the information they are watching, and I can do nothing to protect you if they decide to do something about it'. They’re adults and can make their own decisions, but it doesn’t mean you must go down with them.”
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Another added, “So what am I supposed to do if I finish my day's work at 4? Pretend I’m working?” A third joined, “You can be strict about the time, but don't be surprised when you start losing high performers to other jobs and having productivity fall when people have no incentive to get it done except within an arbitrary time limit. Nobody likes clockwatchers and being micromanaged, especially when they are doing good work and getting it in on time or early. I'd try to see if you can find a middle ground between your superiors and subordinates. If not, well, you gotta do what you gotta do.”
