'They want free labor': Woman faces off against boss who wants her to work overtime without additional pay

Author image for Stephanie Harper
Stephanie Harper
Aug 18, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Working overtime is something that should always come with additional pay. If you're willing to put in extra time and effort for your job, you should be rewarded with extra income… right? Well, you'd think so. A Redditor named u/blacksilverglass is seeking advice about a toxic workplace situation that isn't making any sense to her at all. 

According to her, she's supposed to work between 9 am and 6 pm as a designer at a small-sized company consisting of about five employees. At first, she would leave work at 6 pm without an issue. Now, whenever she leaves work at 6 pm (when she's supposed to), her boss seems to catch a negative attitude. Being guilted into working later than you're supposed to be working is a very uncomfortable thing to deal with. 

OP asks, "Why is my boss mad at me [for] leaving work at the right time?" To that, someone responded by saying, "They want free labor." OP is being accused of not putting her best foot forward at work, either. After turning in a project, her boss asked her to redo it in an attempt to make her stay later than 6 pm. The only thing it seems she's doing "wrong" is not willingly agreeing to work overtime for free, which is beyond toxic. 

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  • 01
    Sleeve - "Why is my boss mad at me [for] leaving work at the right time?"
    via Pixabay
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/blacksilverglass 5 hours ago Why is my boss mad at me leaving the work at the right time? Advice
    via u/blacksilverglass
  • 03
    Font - I'm a designer at a small company with total of 5 people. I work 9-6, earning around 1800dollars. I don't make alot. And we don't get paid to work more. Normally I have worked late once every three months, and if busy 2 times a month.
    via u/blacksilverglass
  • 04
    Font - Normally I go home exactly at 6. And I always finish the job on time. But past 3 weeks, my boss is getting pissed when I leave work. When I say See u, she normally replies back. But these days she barely responds. Just a “mhm” in a really pissed off tone.
    via u/blacksilverglass
  • 05
    Font - Last time at the meeting, she told us to re-do my work based of some references. She said if you think its not enough, you should stay late and work on it. I didn't work late, but I finished it right on time and showed her today.
    via u/blacksilverglass
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    Font - She told me I don't put my best effort into my work these days. And she was quite mad at me for not thinking. So she told me to re-do it. I did it again, finished it and I was leaving work today. I told her see you. And She completely ignored me and walked passed me.
    via u/blacksilverglass
  • 07
    Font - I'm very confused. She is mad at me for what? Fyi this is my first time working, its been 8-9 months. 217 people here 223 Comments
    via u/blacksilverglass
  • 08
    Font - Zachary_Stark. 5 hr. ago They want free labor. 487 Reply Share
    via u/Zachary_Stark
  • 09
    Font - linwoowho 2 hr. ago ● was told by a mentor the key to success is walk fast, look worried and always have something in your hands.. it's the appearance of stress.. think blues
    via u/linwoowho
  • 10
    Font - counterboud 2 hr. ago Is your mentor George Constanza? Really is true though, I've noticed if I seem slightly pissed off or say I'm busy, I get left alone and have less work to deal with. ↑ 31 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/counterboud
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    Font - linwoowho 1 hr. ago If you can look like your job is the hardest one without complaining and always give advise one on one not in group settings you will go far at Vandalay Industries..
    via u/linwoowho
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    Font - 00 Mountain-jew87. 1 hr. ago Just look busy and a little preoccupied, learned this in the military. It's better to look busy and frustrated, people will leave you alone. Reply Share 14
    via u/Mountain-jew87
  • 13
    Font - linwoowho 2 hr. ago Misery loves company...and most companies are miserable. 30 Reply Share
    via u/linwoowho
  • 14
    Font - godsbegood 56 min. ago Because our society is built on worker exploitation. Vote Reply Share
    via u/godsbegood
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    Font - SiteRokFatal86813 · 25 min. ago I was told the same thing, and so I did it... and it worked, the individuals who were my supervisors when I started, became my subordinates in less than a years time...
    via u/SiteRokFatal86813
  • 16
    Font - linwoowho 12 min. ago ● That Great!!! I went from the working floor to the head office in my group doing good work and always being busy. It's just that easy.
    via u/linwoowho
  • 17
    Font - The Milkman HathCome 1 hr. ago Employer wants free labor so tries to coax employee into staying longer to redo something Employee redoes it instead of doing something new, and leaves at normal time anyways, therefor giving employee less labor Employer:
    via u/MilkmanHathCome
  • 18
    Font - TrueTurtleKing · 4 hr. ago This is one or two things imo. One is your boss has this hustle mentality where because the BOSS is working 80 hours a week, her low employee should do the same for less pay.
    via u/TrueTurtleKing
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    Font - Second is that your performance sucks and staying late won't fix that lol. Be careful because small companies don't have performance plans to hunt you about to get fired, it just happens. ↑ 165 Reply Share
    via u/TrueTurtleKing
  • 20
    Font - Ima-Bott 2 hr. ago ● And remember when the boss hits the jackpot for working 80 hours a week, and shaming you into 80 hours a week, you will NOT get a cut. She's "taken all the risk". 43 Reply Share
    via u/Ima-Bott
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    Font - Scared-Dot-8369 · 37 min. ago Yeah. If you expect your staff to donate free labour in order for you to stay in business, it's not a business. It's a hobby, and the owner needs to get a real job.
    via u/Scared-Dot-8369
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    Font - 83b6508 36 min. ago ● The boss hustles because they have an ownership stake. They're expecting ownership stake motivation from wage-stake employees. It's a tale as old as time. Vote Reply Share
    via u/83b6508
  • 23
    Font - KarmaKhameleonaire 4 hr. ago Or consider this: their boss just wants free labor 20 Reply Share
    via u/KarmaKhameleonaire
  • 24
    Font - daaamber 2 hr. ago At your one-on-one check in ask "I am getting the impression that you are unhappy with me, can we talk about your concerns." Its just conjecture until you discuss it. 3 Reply Share
    via u/daaamber
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    Font - Glittering-Wing-2305 3 hr. ago you pay me is always the answer when they want you to work more 13 Reply Share
    via u/Glittering-Wing-2305

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