Even when working hours are clearly set, many employees feel a slight pressure to remain outside working hours. In some workplaces, the end of the day is shaped less by workload and more by the perception that employees are waiting to see who leaves first. A recent Reddit post highlighted this unspoken culture, with a user claiming that at his former workplace, no one “dared” to leave at 5 p.m.
In a post titled “Worked at a company where no one dared to go home at five o’clock first,” the user said he was employed as an account manager at a firm that specialized in building and designing bakery stores. His official work schedule was 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although he said he regularly came in early, around 8:15 a.m.
The employee said he left the office around 5:05 or 5:10 PM during the first week. A few days later, he said, his manager confronted him about his departure time.
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“‘What you are doing is unacceptable,'” the manager allegedly told him. When asked for an explanation, the manager replied, “Well, you’re leaving too soon, everyone’s talking about it.”
The user said he explained that he regularly arrived at least 15 minutes before the start of his shift, but claimed the manager dismissed it, saying: “Nobody sees you coming in early.”
The workers stayed back so they wouldn’t be the first to leave
In an effort to understand workplace dynamics, the employee said he began to observe colleagues more closely. He claimed that most employees stayed in the office until 5:20 or 5:25 p.m., not because of pending work, but because no one wanted to leave first.
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“I’m talking about a company with about 75 employees and all these employees holding each other hostage to not leave ‘early’. It was 8 years ago when I left the company but it’s the worst work culture I’ve ever come across. I always mention it to people as a bad example. Pure madness,” the user wrote.
The post attracts wide responses from other users
The post quickly gained popularity online, with several users sharing similar experiences of strict time tracking and workplace pressure.
One commenter wrote: “I used to work for a company where you could work 8-5 or 9-6 but they’d want you there 15 minutes before you sat down at your desk blah blah. Then they decided if you were even a minute late you’d have to stay an extra hour to make up for your lateness. So if you came in effectively for lunch you’d have to stay until 8:01. use less than an hour or you’d be penalized. He couldn’t I believe that when I joined my current company and they didn’t micromanage or watch the clock. Everyone is much happier and more efficient.
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Another user pointed out the financial pressures behind punctual departures, writing: “I worked at a place where a lot of staff left a dot or a tick early… and when pressed why… they said they had to get to their second job because the first one didn’t pay enough.”
“I would definitely choose to leave at 5pm when the payment stops. Soon there would be a trickle and then a flood of leakage from the toxic mindset they are in,” said a third commenter.
“Sounds like a nightmare. Reminds me of the time I was stuck in a similar trap. Glad I moved on. Life’s too short for that kind of nonsense,” another user added.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
