‘My overtime is invisible’: Worker penalised for 15-minute delay, ordeal with strict HR goes viral

A recent Reddit post has reignited the conversation around toxic workplace culture, exposing the glaring double standards in the corporate world.

An employee's detailed account of being reprimanded for a 15-minute delay, despite consistently working unpaid overtime and weekends, has struck a chord with netizens, highlighting the plight of fresh hires navigating a tough job market.

Culture of working overtime

In the post, the employee said that he joined an event management company in May and is currently on probation, detailing a gruelling schedule. While their official working hours are 11 AM to 7 PM with weekends off, the reality of the events industry painted a very different picture.

Throughout July, the employee worked most Saturdays and random Sundays, frequently staying well past official hours.

According to the post, the manager justified this erratic schedule with a colloquial joke, referring to the workload as “udya teer” - implying that work demands come first and consequences are dealt with later.

Despite the heavy lifting, the employee remained positive, citing a steep learning curve and a supportive immediate team as reasons for wanting to stay.

"I honestly don’t mind working hard. 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 said.

Commute and confrontation

The situation deteriorated when the workload recently eased. Burdened by a punishing two-hour commute each way involving heavy traffic and multiple trains, the employee began arriving at the office between 11:15 AM and 11:20 AM on relatively quiet days.

This minor delay caught the attention of the Human Resources (HR) department. When questioned about the tardiness, the employee explained the transit issues and pointed out that they had still left the office at 6:45 PM the previous day.

Frustrated by the sudden micromanagement, the employee reminded HR of the extensive overtime and weekend shifts worked throughout the previous month. HR’s dismissive response, “What can I argue about that?”, further escalated the situation.

Shouting matches and leave accusations

Rather than resolving the issue amicably, HR escalated the matter to the employee’s senior manager, who subsequently called the employee into a meeting and shouted at them over the situation.

HR sent an email to senior management accusing the employee of taking “too many leaves”. This claim surprised the worker, who noted that they had taken only two days off in August and one day in July for a significant festival. Under the company’s probation policy, one leave per month is broadly permissible, making the accusation feel like targeted retaliation.

"I did take one additional day for a festival that is important to me, but I didn’t think this would be treated as me taking excessive leave," he said.

The irony of the situation is that the manager had previously mandated manual timekeeping. The employee had a detailed attendance sheet fully documenting the unpaid overtime and weekend shifts—data that HR and management have seemingly chosen to ignore.

Trapped by tough job market

The underlying tragedy of the post is the employee's reluctance to push back. Having been unemployed for four months prior to securing this role, the employee expressed deep anxiety 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 also protecting my job," the employee wrote, seeking advice on how to navigate the probation trap without being perceived as a slacker.

Netizens react

The post has resonated widely online, with users slamming the company's hypocritical approach to time management.

"Hey OP it looks like they are looking for excuses to fire you. Next will come PIP and then the exit, this may sound cynical but I would look for alternatives," a user wrote.

"If this is happening while you're on probation, it's worth keeping in mind what the expectations might look like once you're a full-time employee with more at stake," another added.