‘My overtime is invisible’: Employee penalized for being 15 minutes late, ordeal with strict HR goes viral | Today’s news
A recent post on Reddit has reignited the conversation about toxic workplace culture and exposed a glaring double standard in the corporate world.
The employee’s detailed account of being reprimanded for being 15 minutes late despite consistently working unpaid overtime and weekends struck a chord and highlighted the plight of new hires navigating a tough job market.
Overtime work culture
The employee said in the post that he joined the event management company in May and is currently on probation, detailing his grueling schedule. While their official business hours are 11am to 7pm with weekends off, the reality of the events industry painted a very different picture.
Throughout July, the employee worked most Saturdays and random Sundays, often staying long after office hours.
According to the post, the manager justified this erratic schedule with a colloquial joke, referring to the workload as “udya teer” — suggesting that work demands come first and consequences are dealt with later.
Despite the heavy burdens, the employee remained positive, citing the steep learning curve and immediate support team as reasons for wanting to stay.
“I honestly don’t mind the hard work. I actually really like the people here and I’m learning a lot, which is one of the main reasons I want to stay,” the post read.
Read also | Overtime Rules in India: What the New Labor Codes Say
Commuting and confrontation
The situation worsened when the workload was released recently. Burdened with a punishing two-hour commute each way with heavy traffic and multiple trains, the employee began arriving at the office between 11:15 and 11:20 on relatively quiet days.
This minor delay caught the attention of the Human Resources (HR) department. When asked about the delay, the employee explained transit issues and pointed out that they had still left the office at 6:45 p.m. the day before.
Frustrated with the sudden micromanagement, the employee reminded HR of the extensive overtime and weekend shifts worked during the previous month. HR’s dismissive response, “What can I argue about that?” further escalated the situation.
Shouting matches and leaving accusations
Instead of resolving the issue amicably, HR escalated the matter to the employee’s manager, who then called the employee into a meeting and yelled at them about the situation.
HR sent an email to senior management accusing the employee of taking “too much vacation.” The claim surprised the worker, who noted that they only took two days off in August and one day in July for a major festival. Under the company’s probation policy, one day off per month is generally allowed, so the allegations seem like targeted retaliation.
“I took one extra day for a festival that’s important to me, but I didn’t think it would be considered taking excessive leave,” he said.
The irony of the situation is that the manager had previously ordered manual timekeeping. The employee had a detailed time sheet that fully documented unpaid overtime and weekend shifts—data that HR and management seemingly chose to ignore.
Read also | ‘CEO Texted Me I’m Leaving 10 Minutes Early’: Employee’s Reddit Post Goes Viral
Trapped in a tough labor market
The basic tragedy of this place is the reluctance of employees to push. The employee, who had been unemployed for four months before securing the role, expressed deep concern about the current economy.
“I don’t want this to turn into a fight with HR or management…I just want to figure out how to set reasonable boundaries while protecting my job,” the employee wrote, seeking advice on how to navigate the probation trap without being seen as a slacker.
Read also | No overtime! Here’s how DeepSeek defies China’s 996 work culture
Netizens react
The post resonated widely on the Internet, with users criticizing the company’s hypocritical approach to time management.
“Hey OP, looks like they’re looking for excuses to fire you. Next comes PIP and then exit, may sound cynical but I’d be looking for alternatives,” the user wrote.
“If this is happening while you’re on probation, it’s worth bearing in mind what the expectations might be like when you’re a full-time employee and the stakes are higher,” added another.
