A 21-year-old company employee has sparked an online debate after he was caught using his mobile phone during overtime despite completing all assigned tasks. The worker, who jokingly referred to himself as a “corporate majdoor” (laborer), explained that they finished their work an hour before the usual check-out time. Since their manager left by 6:00 p.m., the employee decided to stay in the office for overtime.
The situation turned tense around 8:00 p.m. While scrolling through Reddit announcements, the employee was unexpectedly confronted by his manager, who was late. The worker described the moment as “a jump scare from a horror movie” and said a manager appeared at their desk and asked why they weren’t working.
When the employee confirmed that all tasks had been completed, the manager allegedly replied, “Then ask for more work.”
The incident further escalated when the manager reported the situation to higher management. Senior staff were instructed to patrol the office and monitor staff activities. The manager reportedly singled out the 21-year-old as an example of bad behavior and warned that those who are “idle” could have their overtime pay reduced.
Despite feeling targeted, the employee noted that several colleagues were also using their phones at the same time but were not caught.
Here is the link to the viral post
“Office Fun”
The episode quickly became a source of “office fun”, with co-workers laughing as the newcomer was lectured as a student in class.
Online commenters shared a range of opinions. Some pointed out that in their companies, strict 6pm restrictions, regardless of workload, increase efficiency. Others were more direct, arguing that “overtime” was merely a euphemism for unpaid work, with one user stating: “If you don’t get paid extra, it’s not overtime.”
Several contributors suggested that the employee set boundaries and advised the employee to politely decline requests for after-hours work. This approach would build on the manager’s previous behavior and embody a “what’s good for the goose is good for the pigeon” attitude.
