‘[After] two shifts, I'm on the 4th season of Righteous Gemstones': Bored employee turns their cubicle into a binge-watching haven after management forces them to endure 12-hour shifts without any work to do

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 4, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

When you have to use PTO to get off early, you might as well stay on the clock.

This employee realized that a change in policy was going to force them to remain on-site for the entirety of their 12-hour shifts, despite a dwindling workload. Unluckily for management, this resulted in the least productive workflow known to man, built entirely on binge-watching, TV, snacks, and a really good office nap spot.

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  • I used to work in the event industry, which is extremely seasonal. In the summer, my email inbox would be exploding at the beginning of each shift, clients would frantically text at all hours, and the phone never stopped ringing. But in the winter, things slowed to a grinding halt, and the office was filled with silent bliss. The best part? Since I had to man the phones from 9-5, that meant that I could whip out my laptop when I was done with my duties and spend 80% of my shift watching Gossip Girl on company time. 

    However, this did get boring after a while, and honestly, if there was no work to be done, I'd beg my boss to let me go home early. But this employee was never given that option; instead, they were forced to stay on shift without projects, so they stuck it to management with a hefty overtime tab and a lot of wasted employee hours.

  • "There is no work"
    via najkhetsamtip

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

  • So long story short; my company got rid of Voluntary time off last year. I have been with the company for 5 years and have always enjoyed going home early when there is no work to do.
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • However, now we have to use PTO to go home early. I work 12 hour shifts and love to get some extra sleep, plus my current financial situation is very unique and i dont need the extra hours.
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • For the last 2 days i have been unable to do anything at work because of a work related maintenance. I cant do anything at all. But i have to use PTO to go home? I have directly brought this
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • up to the person in charge of allowing VTO and they said that there is always something to do. (I cant do anything because of maintenance) Que malicious compliance: I have been
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • sitting in the break room watching shows for two shifts in a row now. Im on the 4th season of righteous gemstones and ive only just started watching it and have only seen it at
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • work. Some people might think this is a dream to watch movies at work but i would much rather be outside and get extra sleep than be stuck bored at work for 12 hours.
    via Any_Pudding1541
  • Adarie-Glitterwings Time to build yourself a nap nook in the break room!
    via Adarie-Glitterwings
  • Cheezburger Image 10500488192
    via aliaksandrbarysenka

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

  • fgzklunk I get the it's not a dream to get a job that you get paid for doing nothing. I worked for a company that pulled my project and had nothing for me to do instead. I ended up spending 3 months
    via fgzklunk
  • playing computer games on my personal laptop instead of writing software. I even told them that is what I would do until they gave me work to do, but I was bored for months until I quit.
    via fgzklunk
  • Attakmoosegomer I gotta be honest if some company I'm working for pulled a stunt like that, I would thoroughly enjoy making a free paycheck off of them! I do understand the preference of being outside or resting at home. But free money is free money.
    via Attakmoosegomer
  • SailingSpark This makes no sense. Why would a company want to pay you to sit around and do nothing when they could let you go home and not pay you at all? Somebody in upper management needs to get their head out of their a.
    via SailingSpark
  • AppropriateRip9996 I had a meeting with a guy at 3. I arrived at his basement office but the lights were off. I guess he wasn't there. I knock anyway. Lights go on. He appears at the door ready to
    via AppropriateRip9996
  • meet. I ask about the lights. He said he was sleeping. I asked about the lack of bed. He pointed to a yoga mat. I asked how long and he said years. It started when he was given impossible hours.
    via AppropriateRip9996
  • No_Talk_4836 I had a job like this. It was an interesting none months. The position was eliminated in a merger, but I listened to three years worth of bi-monthly podcasts
    via No_Talk_4836
  • ThreeDogs2022 Bust out the duolingo. Become fluent in Klingon on the company dime.
    via ThreeDogs2022

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boss worker slacker employee manager job work coworkers working ceo TV employees boredom binge watching supervisor workplace binge company coworker business funny
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