Manager approves employees' unlimited overtime for Mother's Day week, only to take it back halfway through: ‘You are doing too much overtime’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 11, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

Having the option to work overtime in your workplace can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, allowing you to work more than you're required and earn more money in return can be a lifesaver for many people. Those extra bucks can really make all the difference. You don't have to, but you can, so having that option as a last resort might ease many people's minds.

On the other hand, that option can seriously mess with some employees' work-life balance. If one is given unlimited overtime options, what is stopping them from working so much that they barely get to see their homes? If it means more money, some people might not want to give that up. Who knows what it will take to get them to take a break?

Regardless, the one thing that we can know for sure, is that if the overtime option exists, the only ones who should decide what to do with it are those who end up working those hours. Which cannot really be said about the story below…

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  • The employees in the story below were extremely happy when their manager told them they had a week of unlimited overtime. However, as soon as they actually started taking advantage of that option, management decided to take it back, which was not cool at all.

    Keep scrolling to read the full tale.

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    Cheezburger Image 10503945728
    via Pressmaster

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

  • 02

    "Manager said ‘Unlimited Overtime’ for Mother’s Day Week.. Now They’re Mad We Took It Seriously"

    Our district manager told us before her vacation, that on the week of Mother's Day we could work as much overtime as we wanted this week. So my
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 03
    coworkers and I planned to hit 50+ hours. Some came in early, others worked doubles. Normally, people just clock in and out
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
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    without pushing OT, so this was a big change. Halfway through the week, the district manager suddenly told our head
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 05
    too much OT. I think the shift leads were in on it too, because they're used to being the only ones with heavy hours. I didn't quite hit 50 hours total
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
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    (only 10 hours overtime) because of Cinco de Mayo, but my friend did, and now they're side-eyeing him.
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 07
    Why would she greenlight unlimited overtime just to walk it back midweek?
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 08
    UnluckyAssist9416 Probably hit normal staffing levels for the first time in forever...
    via UnluckyAssist9416
  • 09
    SnooDoughnuts3368 OP They did, and they were shook
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10503953152
    via Mike Marchetti

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

  • 11
    albop03 50hrs of OT or 50hrs total?
    via albop03
  • 12
    SnooDoughnuts3368 OP 50 hours total, basically 10 hours of overtime
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 13
    Order_Flaky Overtime? What's that? (Asking from the U.K.)
    via Order_Flaky
  • 14
    SnooDoughnuts3368 OP The standard work week for Americans is usually 40 hours a week, anything OVER 40 hours it's considered overtime. Overtime is usually when they pay you 1.5x more than your base hourly pay. For instance if I make $16/hr, when I hit overtime any hour I work after that is automatically $24/hr. (16 x 1.5=24).
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 15
    azureoptical Probably mad cause the week of Mother's Day doesn't start until tomorrow?
    via azureoptical
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    SnooDoughnuts3368 OP We're off Sundays so it literally started this week for us. Nice try though
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 17
    azureoptical I'm not "trying" anything. Mother's Day is tomorrow, so if you're in the US, the week of Mother's Day is may 11-may 17.03
    via azureoptical
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    SnooDoughnuts3368 OP Try again because it STILL would be considered Mother's Day weekend for the food industry. It's a reason why people took off this weekend and not the weekend after that.
    via SnooDoughnuts3368
  • 19
    Artistic_Half_8301 Money motivates people? . Management
    via Artistic_Half_8301
  • 20
    MarginalOmnivore "People don't want to work anymore" People when you let them work:
    via MarginalOmnivore
  • 21
    bikes ually Poor management. They expected less people to do it. 10 hours is nothing though. Not sure what they expected. Particularly without putting a cap on it.
    via bikes**ually
  • 22
    herpaderp43321 Hope you also have it in writing as it ensures your is completely covered if any issues crop up from it.
    via herpaderp43321
  • 23
    Chemistry11 Sometimes people make offers with the expectation to get a No, but they can say they tried and you can't complain. It's backfired
    via Chemistry11
  • 24
    Neovison_vison This eagerness for overtime is just a sign that you aren't properly compensated
    via Neovison_vison

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