'I don't work for free': Factory supervisor demands workers arrive an hour early to shift, yet refuses to pay for it, resulting in a rebellion after one employee refuses

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 19, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Every line of work that is based on shifts should follow this one, extremely simple rule: Employees get paid for the exact amount of time they are on the job—no more, no less. 

Should be easy, right? Apparently, not so much.

When I used to work shifts, the very first thing I did was clock in, and I did not clock out until I had my bag over my shoulders and I was ready to fully walk out. There was not a minute that went to waste, and not a second I worked that I did not get paid for. I honestly could not imagine that this is a rare case for employees, and that most get taken advantage of far too often.

For some reason, when workplaces try to come up with ways to save money, the first thing that comes to mind is to do so at the expense of their employees. Luckily, most employees do not give in lightly and are ready to prove that they will never give in without a fight.

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  • That is what the workers in the story below proved to their supervisor when they tried to cut their pay while still demanding they work the same hours. Following one brave employee's lead, these workers proved that they cannot be fooled.

    Keep scrolling to read the full story…

  • 01
    "Nothing could be done to make us work for free"
    via Kichigin

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

  • 02

    Start 30 minutes later to save company money? Ok.

    At one of the factories | worked at, we had a shift overlap. Each shift was there for 8.5 hours, with a half hour unpaid lunch. We
    via KJWeb8
  • 03
    had a half hour on shift change to tell the incoming shift what was going on with the machines.
    via KJWeb8
  • 04
    A bean counter figured out how much money could be saved with this 'unnecessary' half hour hand over time being cut.
    via KJWeb8
  • 05
    This also cut our workday to 7.5 paid hours. They told the lead men to coordinate the shift handover, even though there was too
    via KJWeb8
  • 06
    much information for one person to handle. Cue the malicious compliance. I strolled onto the production floor at my
    via KJWeb8
  • 07
    new assigned start time. Machines were all down. Operators wait for me (a set up operator) and the lead man to discuss what needed to be done. Instead
    via KJWeb8
  • 08
    of machines running continuously, they were shut down for at least a half hour. My lead man furiously asked me why I didn't come in earlier. I told him I don't work for free.
    via KJWeb8
  • 09
    Naturally, my approach to the new way spread to the other shifts, and suddenly people who always came in early decided they didn't
    via KJWeb8
  • 10
    want to work for free either. The factory production levels dropped. Upper management asked why. Several fingers were pointed at me for starting
    via KJWeb8
  • 11
    the rebellion, but nothing could be done to make us work for free. A week later, our hours were changed back.
    via KJWeb8
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10517640960
    via gorodenkoff

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

  • 13
    derallo Injection molding?
    via derallo
  • 14
    KJWeb8 OP High speed punch presses. Also plating department in the same building. The injection molding was in the building behind us.
    via KJWeb8
  • 15
    stephawkins A week later, our hours. were changed back. Then a month later, our hours were gone when the company outsourced all the work to India
    via stephawkins
  • 16
    KJWeb8 OP Close. Arkansas, 3 years later.
    via KJWeb8
  • 17
    Krono5_8666V8 Every company ever, at some point: "We had this brilliant idea to save money by not paying or employees for part of their work!"
    via Krono5_8666V8
  • 18
    dynamicd punch Similar situation at my work, except one person was assigned to cover an hour gap between the night shift and mornings by themselves.
    via dynamicd**punch
  • 19
    Unfortunately that hour requires some forklift driving, and as per our Operational Health and Safety, we cannot operate any machinery if only one of our personnel is on site.
    via dynamicd**punch
  • 20
    And since Truck Drivers don't count as our personnel, all it took was that one guy refusing to load/unload trucks for an hour for the rostering to change.
    via dynamicd**punch
  • 21
    K1tsunea Bean counter is crazy. Congrats on your mini revolution, OP
    via K1tsunea
  • 22
    Grrerrb No handover is a terrible idea, honestly more places should co more handover, in basically every line of work that has shifts.
    via Grrerrb

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boss shift workplace-stories employee manager job malicious compliance tales-from-the-workplace reddit story ceo factory overworked-employees workplace Reddit company money
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