Company Criticizing Worker for Coming in and Leaving on Time Sparks Debate

A worker recently took to Reddit to reveal their workplace's disapproval of them coming in and leaving on time, igniting a heated debate in the process.

The now-viral Reddit post shared in the subreddit "Antiwork" has received 34,800 upvotes and 2,200 comments since it was shared on May 10.

When it comes to working overtime in the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that employees considered exempt can't receive overtime pay. Employees would be considered exempt in this case as salaried workers if they have a salary above $684 per week, or $35,568 a year, and have certain types of jobs. But those making less than that amount can be paid for overtime hours worked.

Laws are in place for non-exempt employees to receive overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 in a week at a rate no less than time and one-half their regular rate.

Redditor @thedevilwithout titled the post, "My workplace is getting arsey with me because I come in on time every day." Arsey is British slang that means, "maliciously spiteful, bad-tempered, or unreasonable," according to Merriam-Webster.

The original poster (OP) revealed that they recently started working at a new company, and they've been there for about six weeks.

"So far all seems good, however, they get a bit weird about how on time I am," the Redditor said.

The OP revealed they are supposed to start working at 9 a.m., so they consequently start working at that time. Their lunch is from 1 to 2 p.m., so they are "back in the office at 1:59." The Redditor also revealed their day ends at 5:30 p.m., and therefore their computer is off by 5:30.

But the company doesn't approve of the behavior. "Apparently, they don't like this, my other colleagues are in at 8 a.m. and leave at 6 p.m. blablabla," the Redditor revealed. "I hate this culture of being made to feel like a bad employee because you'd rather only work the hours you get paid for."

Over 1,500 comments poured in over the viral post, and a debate has ensued over the situation the employee faced. One Redditor chimed in that according to their college professors, if a worker is salaried, "overtime is expected," adding, "If you're hourly, make it so that you're paid for overtime. I don't know how good [of] advice this is."

Some people weighed in with their own experiences, and one Redditor admitted they have a salaried job, but they "stop working after 37.5 hours in a week. They don't pay overtime, so they don't get overtime work. Employers need to understand work is a transaction, both sides bound by a contract. Want more? Pay more."

While another Redditor said their place of work tells them to be "set up and ready to work" when they clock in. However, they insist that they clock in when they walk in.

"Y'all ain't getting free labor from me," they added. "All workers need to realize that we outnumber these companies. They cannot run without us. It's my tiny protest, but the more we enforce this, the more rights workers will gain."

Some seemed shocked by the workplace's attitude toward the worker. "This s*** is getting ridiculous," a Reddit user said. "If I get paid for eight hours, I'm working eight hours."

Many people were of the mindset of not working extra off the clock. One Reddit user revealed they're done working when their eight hours are up.

"I'll work my a** off while I'm there, but I'm gone when they're over," they added. "I have hobbies and passions outside of work, and I'm sure as s*** not giving them up for free."

Some slammed the company over their reaction to the OP working when they're expected to. "Normalize getting paid [for] the hours you work," a Redditor recommended. "If they want you there earlier, they better d**n well pay you for it. Otherwise, they can take a long walk off a short pier."

Others didn't mince their harsh words of criticism. "If they aren't getting paid for the extra two hours of work a day, you need to tell them they are the dumba**es," a Redditor wrote.

Newsweek reached out to Redditor @thedevilwithout for comment.

This isn't the only viral moment involving a workplace. A sign advertising discounts for images of employees using phones sparked anger online. A boss' "heartless" response to the death of a worker's mother was bashed. In addition, a boss who wouldn't allow a new employee to take their non-refundable vacation was slammed online.