Employee closes up shop after coworker doesn't show up, gets reprimanded by HR for not covering their shift: 'Trying to suppress laughter at the idea I might work an unplanned double-shift'

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Jul 31, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Showing up is 99% of the job. In most cases, you can't do your job if you're not there. That's why employers love people who can be on time. If you can arrive on time reliably, then you're halfway to being the most employable person out there. For a lot of jobs, it's really that simple.

But that doesn't mean showing up when you don't have to. There's an agreement you make with your boss that you'll work the days you're supposed to work, and that's it. Usually, you sign on to work a certain amount of hours at certain times during the week, and then it's your job to fulfill those. Sure, a coworker might ask you to swap or cover, but you can say yes or no. But the bosses at this poster's workplace don't seem to have that idea internalized, and instead formally reprimanded one of their employees for refusing to work an unplanned double. Read on for the story.