Retail manager demands employees wait until closing time to start cleaning up, leading employees to rack up overtime pay every shift: ‘He wanted us working until the very end’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 13, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Are all boss actually physically allergic to giving their employees a moment to rest, or is it just something that is in their nature? Where does the need to boss people around come from? (Pun not intended, surprisingly.)

We understand that managers want your employees to do as much work as possible while they are on the clock, because they are quite literally being paid to be there. But sometimes, especially in fields like retail, there truly is nothing to do. Why is it so wrong for employees to just… rest? Why must they busy themselves with meaningless tasks just in case the boss comes in and sees them looking hardworking and busy?

If we could have a focus group with a bunch of managers and ask them these questions, we would, just so we can listen to them attempt to logic their way out of their toxic leadership. But since we can't really do that, we might as well get a laugh out of bosses who realise their mistakes, like the one in the story below.

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  • This manager got mad when he walked into his store 15 minutes before closing time, and saw that everything had already been cleaned and taken care of by his employees (We know… How dare they?)

    This manager's new store policy led to the employees being paid a lot of overtime, which bosses might as well also be allergic to as well, so keep scrolling to read how that turned out.

  • 01
    "Enjoy the overtime bill"
    via GaudiLab

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

  • 02

    Can’t leave until closing time, even if everything’s done? Enjoy the overtime bill.

    I used to work at a luxury watch store in mall. We closed at 9 PM, but most nights we'd be done with all the cleaning and
    via brookssofi
  • 03
    closing tasks by 8:40. With no customers around, we'd just quietly wait out the last 15-20 minutes.
    via brookssofi
  • 04
    One day, our regional manager walked in unannounced around 8:45, saw us sitting and talking, and got mad. Next
    via brookssofi
  • 05
    morning, we got a new rule: "No closing tasks can begin until after 9 PM". He wanted us "working until the very end".
    via brookssofi
  • 06
    Fine. We stopped doing anything before 9. Every display, register, cleaning
    via brookssofi
  • 07
    task all of it waited until the clock struck 9:00. Which meant we didn't finish until 9:30 every night. And since our
    via brookssofi
  • 08
    contracts gave us paid overtime if we stayed late, we started racking up extra pay every shift.
    via brookssofi
  • 09
    TACKAMELS 1400130012401002199 WINNER
    via Ruslan Alekso

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

  • 10
    After two weeks, corporate started asking why labor costs had spiked. But we kept following their instructions
    via brookssofi
  • 11
    exactly. It wasn't until senior exec watched us standing around doing nothing for 20 minutes before madly closing up
    via brookssofi
  • 12
    after hours that they finally dropped the rule. New policy: "Use your judgment just make sure
    via brookssofi
  • 13
    the store looks good until closing". Amazing how fast common sense returns when budget take a hit.
    via brookssofi
  • 14
    Brobdingnag Lilliput Use your judgment just make sure the store looks good until closing". PRO TIP: Don't let them unring that bell. Let them know that, in your judgement,
    via Brobdingnag
  • 15
    the new way is better. Maybe don't say out loud that half an hour of overtime pay improves your quality of life more than getting back that half hour of free time. They'll
    via Brobdingnag
  • 16
    eventually explicitly direct you back to the old way of doing things, but make them do that work don't do that work for them! -
    via Brobdingnag
  • 17
    Aurzyerne Well.. yeah. Money is the only language corporations understand.
    via Aurzyerne
  • 18
    Geminii27 New policy: "Use your judgment Ah, the standard "Read our minds to find out when you should do what we say and when you shouldn't, and we'll blame you either way" tactic.
    via Geminii27
  • 19
    vacuousintent Well done. You really watched the clock for this malicious compliance.
    via vacuousintent

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Tags

boss workplace-stories employee manager job malicious compliance retail tales-from-the-workplace retail worker reddit story overworked-employees workplace overtime Reddit company funny
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