Boss forces new employee to clock out and continue working for 30 more minutes without pay, employee decides to confront boss's boss about it: ‘I'm so infuriated’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Mar 21, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

People who have to physically clock in and out of work every day understand how stupid this concept can be.

On one hand, it makes sense that a system needs to be in place in order to track each employee's work hours, especially if they are being paid hourly and not globally each month. On the other hand, physically clocking in and out starts to make sense less and less the more the workplace atmosphere changes and evolves. 

For example, most of us find ourselves having to do work-related stuff even while we're off the clock. We all had to deal with super urgent issues that cannot wait and have to be addressed immediately. But then, if we're not clocked in, who is paying us for that?

Exactly, we're not getting paid for those times. We're also not getting paid for everything we do from the moment we physically clock out until the moment we are fully out of the building, which for many people, is not a 3-minute journey as one may expect. 

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  • The employee in this story is being forced to work for an extra half an hour every day, even after clocking out. Their manager keeps giving them more assignments, and disregarding the fact they must do them off the clock. She even refuses to pay them for lunch.

    This led the employee to take action, keep scrolling to read what they decided to do.

  • Cheezburger Image 10483043840
    via pixelshot

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "I am forced to clock out at 4:30 daily and continue working"

    I just started a new job at a doctor's office. My boss set me up on a timeclock system that can only be accessed by my computer in the office.
    via brokenpa
  • Every day at 4:30pm, she tells me to clock out on the system. Then, she keeps training me until 5. She also demands I start gathering up garbage in all the patient
    via brokenpa
  • rooms during this time. Yesterday, I spoke up about working off the clock and she told me the dumpster is outside and the computer is inside so "How would you
    via brokenpa
  • clock out after we locked the door if you can't get back in?" Her company is getting an extra 30 minutes of free
    via brokenpa
  • work off of me daily and I'm so infuriated by her acting like it's no big deal that I want to ghost the whole office. Help?
    via brokenpa
  • Edit: I went in yesterday and was told to clock out at 4:30. She then said" Oh we have one more patient in a room. " I kept track of my movements through a fitness app.
    via brokenpa
  • From 4:30 to 5:00 she told me to fill out forms, told me to clean patient rooms, and we left at 5. I emailed her boss.
    via brokenpa
  • I don't plan on staying and "building a case" because I am handling sharps boxes at the end of the day and the dumpster is down a flight of steps. If I actually do get hurt, it's on me to pay.
    via brokenpa
  • MM_in_MN At 4:30, clock out, gather your things and leave. If she keeps you there, keeps talking, etc, clock back in. Be blunt about it. You're not working off the clock. Is the dumpster on your way
    via MM_in_MN
  • from building to car? Just take it with you. If it's not, bag it up and leave it for the morning until after you clock back in.
    via MM_in_MN
  • brokenpa OP Yes the dumpster is on the way to my car. That's why she's using this excuse. However, all the patient rooms and the basement garbage can isn't on the way to my car. Yesterday, it was also "Hey can you clean the kitchen? The drug rep left all the food out."
    via brokenpa
  • SH184INU What do you mean by forced,
    via SH184INU
  • brokenpa OP So, level with me here. This boss uses verbage like "In this office you have to be a team player" and "We all pitch in here to do things even if we don't like them because it's what's best for the whole office.".
    via brokenpa
  • Now that I see it for what it is, it's a toxic workplace and I'm not being forced to do anything. She can't keep employees and this is why.
    via brokenpa
  • MissDisplaced Do you also clock out for lunch? If you don't, then I could see it making sense and it's 8 hours. But otherwise what she's doing is illegal in the US.
    via MissDisplaced
  • brokenpa OP There are no lunches in this office. I was also shocked to hear this office runs 8-4:30 and we aren't allowed to leave or clock out all day.
    via brokenpa
  • WandernWondern Don't show up tomorrow and send her and the Dept of Labor an email about the illegally of their actions.
    via WandernWondern
  • brokenpa OP I plan on doing this today. She's not letting us have lunch either. We work through the lunches.
    via brokenpa
  • Cheezburger Image 10483044608
    via Dan Dalton

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Living Run2573 Look for another job but in the meantime record all your unpaid time in a diary daily. When you leave take them to the DOL for unpaid wages with your evidence
    via Living_Run2573
  • redmayapril I had a friend that did this. He also used Google location services to track where he was. That extra 20-30 minutes turned into nearly 17k once the DOL was done with his previous boss. He only worked there 2 years.
    via redmayapril
  • brokenpa OP This is such a great idea
    via brokenpa
  • ApocDream You already brought it up and and she's brushed you off so clearly it's not an honest mistake. I guess at this point your choices are:
    via ApocDream
  • Get the policy in writing (email or text) and report her to the proper agency. Walk out after clock out and if she says something tell her why.
    via ApocDream
  • Ask her straight up if she's gonna tack on an extra 2.5 hrs a week to your paycheck. For the last two you can follow up by saying a lot of systems like this can be set up to allow clocking out at a later time, and if her's can't that's her problem.
    via ApocDream
  • All of these have not insignificant degrees of chance of getting you fired, but if you're already thinking of quitting then no big loss.
    via ApocDream
  • dymos Clock out, then leave. You're off the clock. Speak up now and stand your ground or be prepared to be taken advantage of for the rest of your tenure there.
    via dymos
  • RTMSner That's wage theft.
    via RTMSner

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boss workplace-stories wage theft employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story ceo overworked-employees workplace overtime Reddit company
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