Employee stands up against inconsiderate boss who shamed them as 'clockwatchers' for being punctual

Work timings can be tricky to adhere to. Many employees try to stick to it and finish their work, but emergencies can come up, which results in overtime or having to leave early. While this is generally frowned upon by employers, it is not very practical to expect employees to stick to the work timings every single day. u/ennovyelechim shared a story about how they stood up to their manager, who was insensitive about their working hours.

The individual begins the post by stating they were very punctual at their job and would log in as soon as they got to their office. They would also finish any work that was remaining, even if it meant they had to work for a little more time. They write, "This resulted in me doing 20-30 minutes a day unpaid, but I liked the company and liked a clear desk." They continued to work there and soon, their father-in-law fell and became terminally ill.

They got a call from the hospital informing them that the father-in-law did not have long and everybody should get there as soon as possible. The individual informed their manager and left 15 minutes before their shift ended so they could make it in time. As a result of this early departure, they found out that their pay was docked for half a day. They say, "I had already made two hours of extra unpaid work that week, but they told me they couldn't make exceptions and the extra I did was my own decision."

After this incident, the individual began strictly adhering to their work timings. It continued for five years and they would not work beyond their contracted hours. A new employee joined their workplace and the manager happened to be having a conversation with them that the individual could overhear. The manager told the new employee that she disliked "clockwatchers" who left on time as it showcased a lack of loyalty to the company.

They write, "I leaned over and replied loyalty works both ways and being docked half a day's pay for attending the death of a beloved family member when I'd already done more than weekly hours was cruel and unfeeling." Due to the aforementioned incident, the individual was well aware how "compassionate" their employer was and decided to stick to timings. They also mentioned how they would not make exceptions for anyone.

Their coworker also began to strictly adhere to timings after hearing what and why the employee did that. They conclude, saying, "I dread to think how many extra hours they lost over the whole department over the next few years." People on the platform supported the employee and shared their own thoughts about work timings and pay in the comment section.

u/PrincessAletheia said, "The 20-30 minutes a day unpaid were illegal. I think docking you half a day's pay for 15 minutes of absence might have been illegal, too. You have to be paid for all of your hours worked." Another user, u/steezus__christ1, pointed out, "Your employer may have broken the law by docking your pay in that manner. Of course, this is dependent on the date and location this occurred on."