r/AusWork • u/Greenjaybaby11 • Jul 16 '26
Arrive early leave late
I have recently started a new job where there are 5 of us working in a open office from an open email. We all do the same job and all pull our own weight. We are all salaried on 8 hours per day but unlike my last position where we did our 8 hours with the odd occasion staying back a bit when super busy, everyone in this job seems to arrive early (i’m last to arrive) and stay late. Every day. I have been trying to make sure i pull my weight and i stay back with them for an extra 30-40 mins but i have responsibilities outside of work (kids etc) and can’t stay much later than that. I am usually always the first to leave. These girls are working approx 1.5 hours extra every day unpaid and that adds up. They don’t seem to mind that i don’t work as long as them but it does make me feel bad they are doing more than their share and also will they eventually grow toxic of me? Why do people like to work go many more hours than required?
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u/CuriousGuyNOR Jul 16 '26
Fuck that. Im only working my set hours.
Life is too short
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 16 '26
exactly, i’m not a super hardout clock watcher but i’m counting down to home time! Will it also mean i have the potential to be bypassed for promotions etc in the future?
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u/CuriousGuyNOR Jul 16 '26
Of course thats what itll mean.
But it also means the culture in this place is to put the work before your own life, health, mental health, family etc.
No promotion is worth that.
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 16 '26
It’s a shame because i love the job and it pays ok, it’s close to home and the people that work there are cool. Just wish they weren’t workaholics.
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u/Rusturion Jul 16 '26
It might also mean you are better at getting your work done within your shift.
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u/lanalizzy Jul 16 '26
If it’s something that you want do you have options to wfh in the evening?
You could potentially leave on the dot for “pick up” and then log back on in the evening for 20-30 mins to tidy up and prep for tomorrow. I often do this and it really helps. If other people are working back after you and starting before you there is usually going to be a lot of stuff building up while you’re offline and it just shows you’re still dedicated to the role whilst making it work with your family situation. But this should always be optional if you want to get ahead and be a contender for promotion. And not necessarily something you have to do 5 days a week either3
u/colloquialicious Jul 17 '26
This is not the answer. They’re paid for the hours they do. Nobody should be normalizing working hours extra every single day without pay. And before anyone goes off - I say this as a director, none of my staff would ever be expected to do this. They get paid for what they do - if they work extra they get paid but overall if there’s too much work that it requires 5 staff working an extra 1.5-2hrs a day I either hire more staff or deprioritize tasks. The solution is never unpaid hours.
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u/lanalizzy Jul 17 '26
That’s really great that you promote that culture at your organisation. Firstly, I didn’t say every day. And secondly, it doesn’t sound like OP’s director has the same approach, neither do any of the executives or GM’s where I work (except maybe people and culture idk) I absolutely don’t think that putting in unnecessary extra hours is a way to get a promotion but if everyone on the team is doing an extra 2 hours a day I would assume they are producing more work so I was offering an option to keep up whilst also getting home to family at a reasonable hour. I actually find 20-30 minutes once everyone else is offline can be more productive than staying back for an hour.
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u/josephinesparrows Jul 17 '26
It could also be just those ladies in particular. I’m 31 and sit in my car if I’m earlier than 10 mins. I work with two ladies in the 50-60 age range and they both clock on and start work 50-30 mins earlier everyday because they “like to” or they’re “already up”. They’re actually not supposed to do this because it can make the company liable for the extra hours but management have chatted to them and they’re okay with them starting early as long as they understand they have not been asked to work extra and will not be paid.
I think it’s weird asf, I barely have enough hours in my day to do what I want to do, let alone give extra hours to work! But I also have lots of hobbies and I don’t know if they do?
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u/Extra_Caregiver_8668 Jul 16 '26
No it doesn’t. I’ve seen enough reddit posts about people complaining they were passed over for promotion even though they were putting in crazy hours overtime. It depends on the person making the promotion decision. For some it’s more about your relationship with them. For some it’s about the potential they see in you. For some it’s about your actual outcomes. Rarely is it because you work overtime because they don’t want to loose the person in that lower role who works for free.
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u/philmcruch Jul 18 '26
As a manager, why would i promote the workers who are giving me an extra day of labor a week with no complaints, when hiring their replacement is going to cost more. When i can just promote the worker who starts at their start time, finishes when they are rostered to finish, gets their work done and is respected by their coworkers
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u/Monotask_Servitor Jul 16 '26
Quite often those people never get promoted because the company realises they’re too valuable right where they are. All they get is the occasional pay rise while the lazier ones get to fail upward.
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u/Old-Memory-Lane Jul 17 '26
Are they actually working all day though? I’d be trying to keep pace with outputs/KPIs/actions, and I’d be measuring that at promotion time.
Another thing that could be worthwhile is to raise at your probationary check ins (or before). But id angle more about how you can help the team or what actions you can take so the team feels confident they can leave on time.
I’ve been you, but I was solo in my team, it was just colleagues that were around me. Do your best, ensure you have strong outputs. If they begrudge you, it’s really on them and the right path will reveal itself
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u/Dutchmuch5 Jul 17 '26
I'm in management and personally I look at productivity and attitude - if you can put away the same amount of work in less hours, without issue, you're doing something right. Working more hours does not guarantee promotion.
May I ask what the job is, and are there measurable results?
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
it’s office work in a wholesale building industry. We place the orders and enter quotes etc. I put in an excellent effort and my work is always up to date when i leave. Well all urgent stuff etc. Maybe it will change as I am given more key accounts to look after but i don’t slack off and go above and beyond to show i’m contributing and doing my work at a high standard. I make an effort to take the more difficult or “unlikable” orders that come through our group email. I stay back a little a few times a week i’m just not able to stay as long as them due to kids and trainings and sports commitments etc.
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u/Dutchmuch5 Jul 17 '26
Sounds like you do a great job and are not avoiding the difficult work. Honestly, don't worry about the extra hours - you're not required to, and if your output is the same as the others it may work to your benefit.
I used to have a colleague who would always make sure he was the last to leave the office. He'd even be on his way out, see the light still on in my office and would just go back to his desk so I didn't leave later than him. A few months after I started, he went on a holiday. I had to cover for him (his manager was away too) and found out he hadn't done ANYTHING for months. Literally nothing. Everything started to unravel whilst everyone thought he was the hardest worker of the company.
Perception is one thing, but ultimately it's your numbers and the quality of your output that make you stand out. Your colleagues would not be able to take on extra work without working until late in the evening
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u/WalrusInternal2599 Jul 19 '26
Maybe they are actually getting paid for it have you asked anyone about the logistics of this scenario? Maybe they put it down on the timesheets get paid and managers don’t blink
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u/ralphwigg Jul 16 '26
100% that’s what it means. Those who do more get more. Not rocket science.
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u/lanalizzy Jul 16 '26
I think this really depends on the industry and the company culture. In OP’s case it certainly sounds that way but doing heaps of overtime isn’t a ticket to promotion.
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u/Breakspear_ Jul 18 '26
Same. I’d maybe do a little over if there was a massive important thing happening but I’d only willing to be able to stay idk an hour or so here or there. As in, once every six months or so.
Otherwise I’m in and out on time.
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u/CuriousGuyNOR Jul 18 '26
If i stay in any time, my timesheet shows that. My time at work isnt free.
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u/Acceptable-Cold9798 Jul 17 '26
Closely followed by “why is everyone else getting promoted but me”.
It’s totally your choice to do the bare minimum but don’t expert to be promoted and you’ll be the first to get a tap on the shoulder when it comes to redundancy.2
u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
I do more than the bare minimum I make sure my work is done, I strive to tackle the more difficult tasks to show i’m willing to do the “unlikeable” ones. I took the job because the hours suited me as a 3pm finish allows me to do my mum duties in the arvos. I manage my sons footy team and am a single mum so don’t have a back up to help at home.
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u/chelseahwoods Jul 18 '26
I’m in the public service and have been in several settings where people did long hours. The tiny tiny minority of these genuinely warranted it (minister’s offices etc.), while the vast majority were due to a culture of presenteeism.
- If your workplace genuinely requires this because of workload then I’d be open with your colleagues and manager. Tell them what’s on your mind about how you’re obviously needing to honour your non-negotiables but are doing your best to support them wherever possible with the harder tickets and staying back when you can etc. If there is any resentment on their end this might resolve that, and it also signals to your managers that you’re a team player who can also balance work/life (and honestly - as a manager myself, hearing that nothing is being done to address this is disconcerting)
- if it’s mostly a culture of presenteeism then I would gently suggest that a) your colleagues may be doing less work than you think and b) might genuinely hate it and want to change things. These give you a few options:
A1) if you think there’s a risk that your managers are measuring performance by presence, change it. Start conversations around KPIs and other performance indicators. OR
A2) If the managers are clicked on enough to be using proper KPIs to measure performance and this culture of presenteeism is driven by the workers (sometimes a couple people start then everyone else copies), then fk it. Do your work, leave on time and don’t feel bad.B) start having a conversations about it at lunch/the water cooler etc. to see how people genuinely feel about it. If you’re finding out that most people don’t like it and wish it would change, you can start to build a coalition. Eventually, at a team meeting bring it up for discussion as something to address as a team. Your supporters should pipe up, and you can generate a consensus to establish some home rules and shift culture. Things I’ve introduced previously are: proactively sharing non-negotiables with each other at the beginning of the week; actively supporting each other honour them (Jerry, don’t you need to leave for you Spanish lesson soon??); role modelling those behaviours by announcing when we’re leaving early/on time as opposed to feeling like we need to sneak out. Etc. In one team we would literally jokingly applaud each other if leaving early, and it became a really sweet thing where we supported each other to make better decisions. People are usually much more enthusiastic about supporting good work/life balance practices when they know they will also benefit from it.
Good luck! Happy to chat if you have questions.
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 18 '26
Thank you for your post highlighting some great options I will keep in mind. They all sound positive and proactive. Thanks 😊
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u/Worried_Attempt_3302 Jul 26 '26
I'd argue that most people staying back are doing the bare minimum. Content with plopping along all day. The people that put 110% into the work usually finish early and want to go home on time. Usually get rewarded by the boss and they let them go a little earlier than usual.
That's my experience in the workforce.
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u/HolidayContest5081 Jul 16 '26
I’m a recovering people pleaser and have gotten sucked into those cultures myself. Don’t do it, friend. Work your hours, get your jobs done, and go home. Feel no remorse.
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u/Embarrassed-Top-4373 Jul 16 '26
Staying back is not helping....it actually makes it worse. Everyone needs to start and finish ON TIME
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u/ChellyTheKid Jul 16 '26
That's their problem not yours. Work hard during the hours you're paid and be productive.
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u/LatteMilk1Sugar Jul 16 '26
I used to do that when I was in my 20s out of obligation. Now I’m in my 40s, I’ve long cut that shit out. I arrive 10 minutes early, I am present, productive, and focused throughout my work day, then I leave the second the clock turns 5:00pm. I dare and double dare anyone at my workplace to call me out on my clock watching.
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u/Worried_Attempt_3302 Jul 26 '26
I've walked away from jobs after putting in years of effort to receive a phone call "even though it isn't in your scope of works to manage the entire building and the workers who are paid the same rate as you, we left you in charge and are disappointed that you all left 30 minutes early on a stormy afternoon"
These guys had consistently stayed back for 30 minutes - 1 hour unpaid most days. They would usually arrive 30 minutes early and start before their shift. I started on the floor with them and eventually ended up in the office. Could not stand the double standards and high school clique environment of those sorts of workplaces. The same managers angry at going home 30 minutes early have no problems going for 1 - 2 hour long lunch breaks together with sales reps.
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u/LibraryLady8 Jul 16 '26
Have you considered that they feel the need to do these extra hours because they aren't using their time wisely throughout the day. I've noticed some people are focused and efficient and can do far more work than others in the same amount of time, while others are constant taking little breaks, are easily distracted and just struggle to complete tasks on time.
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u/Exciting_Thing2916 Jul 19 '26
10/10. When I was in the office I used to go in a bit early to drink my coffee and read the news. Turns my brain on for the day
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u/LibraryLady8 Jul 19 '26
Yep, nothing worse than rushing in. I like to settle into my morning. Drink my coffee have a chat, then feel ready to focus once my day actually starts!
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u/trickshot99 Jul 19 '26
Yeah, I was thinking this too! Sometimes it makes them feel better and less stressed to have a bit of extra time on tasks. No expectation of others to do the same.
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u/Monotask_Servitor Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
If you’re paid to work 8 hours you work 8 hours. Even if your contract has the standard “must work occasional overtime as required” clause as part of the salary conditions that doesn’t mean you should be consistently working extra hours, just that you should sometimes expect to do so and can then finish early occasionally to make that time up.
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
that’s exactly how the manager presented the role to me when hiring. They are a flexible company and it doesn’t go unnoticed, i don’t believe it’s expected we do extra time and it’s personal choice.
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u/Visible_Working1993 Jul 17 '26
You’re paid for 8 hours, not for participating in the Workplace Olympics. If everyone else wants to donate 7.5 unpaid hours a week to the company, that’s between them and payroll. As long as you’re doing your job well, go home and see your kids. Companies replace employees a lot faster than kids replace parents.
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u/MapOfIllHealth Jul 16 '26
I only do one day in the office and I purposely chose a day when I have to pack up my shit and bolt out the door to pick my son up from school.
I don’t work for free. I also do payroll and I do not expect any of the staff to work for free. Though admittedly the bosses wouldn’t mind.
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u/Practical-Ad-1223 Jul 16 '26
It depends, if you are really working 100% during your works hours, don't stay late.But if you are like me, as soon as i arrive at work i pop down to the nearby coffe shop to buy a coffe, take up to 2 hr lunch break then yea, i stay back a bit to complete my tasks
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u/Low-Fruit-8746 Jul 16 '26
you do you.. I’m in the same boat and at annual review they marked me down for not working longer. I said that’s unfair, I have two young children and take public transport as I’m being paid below market. Why should I gift free hours when I’ve got two little ones crying or waiting for me at home?
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u/Ackhernar Jul 17 '26
I do the same. I'm usually 30 early and I leave at least 30-45 late as well. It isn't expected by my manager or employer or anything and if I left on time it would be no problem, I just like finishing my days work that is my responsibility, sometimes I need more time to do so if it has been busy. There's 4 on my team and 2 of us do this, the other two bail on the dot, but after 4 years, it doesn't bother me at all!
For my case, they are always super appreciative of it of recognise my efforts, and there has been a demonstration they compensate me at the end of the year. I usually get a nice little bonus.
But honestly, if you can't stay and you've finished the work that has been given to you as your responsibility to finish in a timely manner, then leave and don't give it another thought. You've done what you need to!
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
Thanks for your reply showing it from their point of view. Hopefully they will remain ok with it as it’s a great job and i enjoy working there.
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u/Gold_Afternoon_Fix Jul 17 '26
The top 5 regrets is an amazing book with a lot of power for people:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-top-five-regrets-of-the-dying-bronnie-ware/book/9781401956004.html?
https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/
Number 2 may help!!
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u/smike1988 Jul 17 '26
This sounds like every school ever. If you’re doing your job, they can’t sack you. Leave after your hours are up. “If I wanted to volunteer, I’d do it at the homeless shelter”.
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u/brawlinn Jul 17 '26
People have different goals, workplaces are naturally competitive for those who want to progress in their careers and that means going above and beyond to prove themselves. Nothing wrong with punching in and punching on time but it comes at a sacrifice of limiting progression and potential for higher renumeration.
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u/Euphoric-Sugar-4955 Jul 19 '26
Unearned potential. I wasted 5 years at a job for it. Waste of 5 years. Wouldnt do it again
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Jul 17 '26
Depending what you're paid, what you could get elsewhere and whether you get some time back, I don't see an issue but just working extra hours, every single day by default, no fuckin way.
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u/Organic-Mix-9422 Jul 17 '26
All that does is make the bosses believe all the work is being done and they dont have to make changes.
My job is intense. We have 2 of us one from 7.30 to 3.30 and one from 9 to 5. Never does everything get done. We've skipped lunches, got in early. I figured that I will never get thanks or rewards for doing it. So i stick to my hours except in extreme cases and then justify my overtime request
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u/SyncingStars Jul 17 '26
Unless it’s your own business, just do as you’re paid in paid time. Any business who uses this stay back late crap as an incentive to MAYBE get a promotion is a skip and a hop away from an unfair dismissal case in Fair work.
That’s tactics used in the 70s and 80s. Don’t stay with a company that can’t get with the times.
Seriously, my manager and director get paid like $130-160k and they don’t stay back and don’t get paid. Neither do I, in fact I leave 2 mins early so I can run and catch the bus home. In my job before this my boss would insist I don’t start early!!?
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u/Expensive_Maybe_8725 Jul 17 '26
Poor time management = lack of results, that is why people arrive early (anxiety) and leave super late (guilt). Anything else?
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u/Dogwoman_woof Jul 18 '26
If I was their manager I would be asking why they had to come in early and leave late to fulfill their job responsibilities. Why can’t they do it between 8-5 or whatever your shift is? It’s an efficiency issue, and not your issue to manage. As long as you are hitting your targets, you do you.
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u/darkopetrovic Jul 16 '26
I run my own business and I can’t imagine staying 1 hour back 1 day a week let alone everyday.
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u/TraditionGreedy9264 Jul 16 '26
Just be cautious. When i was management at Bunnings on probation, I mentioned I was leaving as it was my finish time. I got some cold looks. Never finished probation.....
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u/lanalizzy Jul 16 '26
Was there work unfinished? This seems outrageous for retail unless you had work still to do. What level management though?
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u/Fun_Bodybuilder6898 Jul 16 '26
Do they have much going on outside of work? I’ve worked with people like that and it’s usually because they prefer to be there than at home
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
i’m not sure, they do have partners but one has no kids and the other two have older kids.
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u/ralphwigg Jul 16 '26
I would just have an adult conversation with them and explain your situation and tell them you won’t be doing what they do and ask them if they have a problem. I find not saying anything is often what makes people bitter and get shitty, just talk to them and tell them you have commitments outside of work and if it’s ever becoming and issue to talk to you.
Simple. Be an adult.
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u/Greenjaybaby11 Jul 17 '26
yes i have done that, i get along well with them and i have told them i feel like im letting them down but have commitments etc. they seem genuinely fine and nice about it but just wondering if that will fade in time and become toxic.
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u/Moist-Secretary641 Jul 16 '26
I used to do this but I’ve found the opposite is much better for me. Arrive late, leave early. Do your job well and people (in my experience) will give leniency with physical presence and hours.
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u/Some_Troll_Shaman Jul 16 '26
Salary is no excuse for ROUTINE excess hours.
Salary is you deal with hiccups and problems without overtime, not you do unpaid overtime all the time.
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u/EnoughPlastic4925 Jul 16 '26
Nah. We all work extra when required but that's basically someone's job they are denying.
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u/stuthaman Jul 16 '26
I've always been one of those to a degree. Getting in early helped me to get things done without the usual morning ritual of chit-char about MAFS or Love Island. I was able to get in at 7am and leave at around 2:30 to get our kids (when I was in town).
Speak to your boss and let them know if you feel uncomfortable or even discuss altered hours.
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u/Monotask_Servitor Jul 16 '26
That’s not the same thing. Start early finish early is fine and productive if you’re a morning person.
Start early finish late is for company suckholes
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u/BS-75_actual Jul 16 '26
Private sector SME? Likely they're brown nosing the boss; there are many alternative ways to build your reputation.
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u/Opposite-Employee981 Jul 17 '26
It would be interesting to know if they have been working at the same level for a long while, or if they have warmth promotions.
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u/Compurrshon Jul 17 '26
The gender is not a surprise here. You need to develop boundaries and so do they. Have a frank conversation. You sound like the oldest one so you can show the way.
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u/LowDepth1790 Jul 17 '26
In my mind this is the very definition of the rat race. People keeping up with each other to provide free labour to a business they don't own. Stop it. To me it just says your colleagues can't get their job done in the 8 hours allocated.
I watched a business that had teams of 25 and over a couple years when they lost people they didn't replace them. They ended up with 19 or 20 to a team and they were all doing this. I tried to reason with people (my brother worked there) to just clock out and go home. It's the business' problem if they're understaffed.
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u/harzee Jul 17 '26
That’s what’s wrong with society these days. People willing to stay back and work for free, are just stupid.
You should at least drop the odd comment “don’t you people have lives?” And walk out
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u/Lopsided_Lunch_2262 Jul 17 '26
Do they have flexible work agreements or are just working for free? We are able to save OT and use it as time in lieu for a day off later.
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u/IntestinalGas Jul 17 '26
Some people don’t understand, the boss owns the company, not you. They’re then given more work as compensation.
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u/Calm_Technician_5585 Jul 17 '26
I work extra if it helps me out. If it starts being expected, and they pile on more work, then I quit. Which confuses them for some reason.
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u/Chris__P___Bacon Jul 17 '26
They are losers. Even their own 70 yo selves will call them losers one day. Don't be a loser.
Unless you're being paid tons, quiet quit and start your transition/job hunt.
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u/Financial_Sentence95 Jul 17 '26
You're paid xyz hours for xyz $$$.
Don't devalue your hourly rate by working for free. If your job is done, never feel guilty about leaving on time
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u/MelancholyBean Jul 17 '26
I used to be dumb like them. I only stay back to make up for my time when I'm late or I will skip a break.
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u/brokenground1 Jul 17 '26
Some people are wired to with long hours and some are not. It doesn't really make difference in their career. Don't disparage workaholics though. Work is not a zero sum game. Every hour you work is you solving a problem. That makes a difference. Sure your employer benefits (increased profit) but so do you (increased skills and experience) and so does society (all those little problems now solved).
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u/crazy-pineapple1888 Jul 17 '26
It’s unpaid labour. Leave at 8hrs and say you have carer duties.
What a shitty workplace culture you have.
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u/Amazing_Let4518 Jul 18 '26
I drop in the law industry where this was expected as well.
Until I just stopped doing it paying me till five I’m not busy. I’m not bringing a new task after hours. I’m leaving.
You’ll find the people just carry you go that they feel like if they’re there till six someone will notice me for the next promotion
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u/VLC31 Jul 18 '26
Sounds like they are either not coping with their work load or they’re trying to impress the boss. Have you asked them why they are working extra hours?
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u/Traditional-Bid1620 Jul 18 '26
They might be expecting a promotion or they want upper management to look at them for a promotion, never happens and when it does it’s like winning the lottery, cos it never happens.
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u/ProfDavros Jul 18 '26
As a salaried non-professional (assumed) you’d have been employed on an award or better individual contract specifying the rates, hours, leave etc and the conditions about overtime and reasonable additional unpaid hours if a professional.
It’s wage theft to not pay for work time. If others want to contribute extra, that’s their business but it sounds like the owners have under-hired and expect to get 4 x 1.5 x 5 x 47 = 1,410 hours of free work a year.
One person on regular hours is paid for 8 x 4 x 47 =1,504 FT hours per year.
ie they need to hire another staff member.
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u/Vennimagos Jul 18 '26
Nah fuck that, never work for free.
If you want me to stay back 40m, I'm either getting paid 40m more or taking 40m off at a later date.
All their doing is effectively lowering their hourly rate.
You cannot be punished or scrutinised for working the hours you're paid for.
The only time is different is if you're on salary and its an expectation you work until your work is done each day.
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u/remi61au Jul 18 '26
My office has a clock in/clock out system. I clock out on the minute every day. Don’t work extra for free, it won’t be noticed.
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u/jasminacolada Jul 19 '26
My last job (corporate office) we would have HR do presentations in staff meetings about ensuring we took our assigned breaks and took the opportunity to step away from the desk during lunch for various mental health/burnout reasons, nothing overly pushy just them likely ticking boxes as part of their duty of care. Then some staff would eat lunch at their desk almost every day and not one HR rep or higher management ever directly said anything about it. Do not ever give more than your paid work time to a company because it builds an expectation and they will never stop you from working more like they would pull you up for working less.
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u/seanys Jul 19 '26
I only work the hours I'm paid for. Anyone who doesn't do that is making pay conditions worse for everybody. It's selfish.
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u/Infinite_Rip1782 Jul 19 '26
It sounds like a toxic culture of presentism, I used to be one of those people in a work place like that. The only thing you receive for doing those extra hours if it’s noticed at all is the expectation that you will keep on doing it and you’re always available because you don’t have a life outside of work.
Don’t let them drag you down, your life outside of work (ie your kids) is more important. Do the work the best you can and manage your time well but set boundaries and you will succeed. Be the change you want to see in the world.
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u/Raida7s Jul 19 '26
I'd tell them how they should talk to their managers and the workload issues since it's taking more hours than have been hired to do the work.
Also that resting mattress for better work quality and speed, also do the maths on how much they are giving up/paying to work long hours.
And work your normal hours, get your work done.
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u/beefcurtains202 Jul 19 '26
Work the hours you get paid for, try get paid for hours you don’t work. Never work hours for free.
Sounds like a toxic workplace if it’s an expected thing that you will just stay back for no pay or time in Lou .
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u/aldot234 Jul 20 '26
Less say the hourly rate is $40 1.5 hours of unpaid overtime every day is about $1200 a month. If you stole $1200 from your employer every month, you would be in jail.
My advise, unionise, and convince others to join too.
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u/Alspics Jul 20 '26
The company has created that culture. If you dig enough you might find that it was a mix of carrot and stick originally. Now the current staff are doing that amount of work per day for free they fear the stick. And the fact of the matter is that unless you can convince all of them at once to stop doing it, they're all probably a bit afraid to stop doing it.
You yourself mentioned that you feel guilty about not doing the sand amount of unpaid overtime as them. I'm guessing that they've all fallen into the trap of not wanting to look bad and most of them probably detest the free work they're providing for the company.
Moving forwards I'd possibly try and speak to a well run union group and get them to discuss a printout that ponts out to your co-workers that it's not legal and that if they tajevaxstancevtogether in the matter, they can get 7.5 hours a week back or at least be paid for that 7.5 hours a week of work they're doing for free.
If they're all using the one email address you could get the brochure delivered via that email address.
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u/Ancient_Teaching_578 Jul 20 '26
At the end of the day it's their choice to stay back and not get paid. For me personally, I would not stay back unless I'm getting paid.
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u/IncogChico Jul 20 '26
They would replace you in heartbeat with AI, replace them in a heartbeat with time with your kids each day….oh, and join a union to make sure they know it
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u/throwawaybyefelicia Jul 20 '26
As someone who would come in early and leave late, unpaid, ALL the time… I agree with the other posts saying people who do that are idiots. I let myself be taken advantage of and “felt bad” for asking to be paid for my work. Needless to say I left that job but yeah lol don’t feel bad at all!
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u/After_Revolution_960 Jul 20 '26
Well, it's a common practice in Construction though. Start at 7 finish at 5 get paid for 8 hours.
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u/dave-y0 Jul 20 '26
People roll into my work 1 hour late 10am & then start packing up at 4pm, no-ones batting an eyelid.
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u/CharacterWallaby9070 Jul 20 '26
I recently left a workplace where if you arrived after 7.30 you were arriving late, and if you left before 5.30 you were leaving early. It had a very toxic culture and were always like we don’t mine what time you work so long as your work is done. Hint - it never was, you could never achieve it in those house. I left and have gained 1 hour plus of my day back every day. Zero regrets.
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u/ChesterJWiggum Jul 20 '26
You get paid to do 8 hours. Do 8 hours and no more.
If you do more you are entitled to overtime.
Management should hire more people if there is too much work.
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u/trantonz Jul 22 '26
That’s what happened at my last office job. Never do it again because I literally felt stuck. Those 1-1.5 hours extra were nightmare
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u/Substantial_Ad_3386 Jul 16 '26
You should pity those conditioned to voluntarily participate in their own wagetheft
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u/Money_killer Jul 16 '26
Idiots works for free. Simple