Manager makes request at 4:30pm for employee to stay late, employee declines and manager throws temper tantrum: 'Nah, bro! Your emergency is not my emergency'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 4, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Imagine working hard all day, finishing your daily tasks and responsibilities on time, and then, as a reward, being asked by your manager if you can stay late. Did I mention that this employee was asked at 4:30 pm, just a mere half hour before the end of his workday? 

This is but one of countless examples we have found of employers not knowing how to reward their best performers properly. Furthermore, if you're a manager and you're about to ask something of an employee that is outside of their regular duties, you should at the very least raise the issue like a conversation and do it in well in advance. Half an hour before you need them to work overtime is simply not good enough! In the end, that's a sign of unprofessional, poor management, pure and simple. 

With that in mind, let's also remember that a sign of quality management is remembering what it's like to be in the opposite position. So let this story serve as a friendly reminder that if you're about to ask something of an employee that you yourself wouldn't necessarily do, don't ask!

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10537478400
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • Thankfully, this employee had enough confidence to know that they couldn't afford to lose him if he stood up to the manager and politely declined his not-so-generous offer. That's when the manager started to mumble some nonsense about work ethic under their breath, but at the end of the day, there was nothing they could do to enforce the overtime request. It was too last-minute and too ridiculous!

  • 02
    So this happened yesterday and I'm still laughing about it. My manager comes up to me at like 4:30pm asking if I can stay late to cover for someone who called out and usually I'd just say yes because you know rent exists.
    via Strong-Leg-3487
  • 03
    But this time I actually paused and was like hmm, let me think about it and you should've seen his face. Sir, my time has value and I have plans. I politely
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  • 04
    declined and he got all weird about it muttering something about work ethic as he walked away. The audacity of these people thinking we should be grateful for the opportunity to sacrifice our personal time for their poor planning. Like nah bro
    via Strong-Leg-3487
  • 05
    your emergency is not my emergency! I went home and rolled some on rolling riches and just thought how angry he is and just laughed lol
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  • 06
    Anyone else notice how managers get personally offended when you treat your job like a job?
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  • 07
    DemonsNcide ⚫ I had a job once where we all worked the same hours 7:30a -4p. On some days -at end of day... the manager would tell everyone that after you clock-out, we're going to have a short department meeting.
    via Strong-Leg-3487
  • 08
    We had a few projects coming up, so I thought this was a one time thing. Nope, it was at least once a week (sometimes twice) and would be 15-30 mins. After
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  • 09
    a couple of these, I mentioned to her that I thought having us clock-out for meetings was unusual. She was like "I work over my regular hours every week...
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    it's just a few mins, not a big deal." (She was salary while we were all hourly). I said having us do that may be illegal. She just blinked at me, like I had said something in a foreign language, and muttered
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  • 11
    something about 'we all have to do our part'... while waking away. I left that place in about 2 months.
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  • 12
    allmediocrevibes. Another department at my work is having serious time management issues with their new manager. My boss and her thought I was going to pick up their slack? With no extra pay, not a chance.
    via Strong-Leg-3487
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    Cheezburger Image 10537504000
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 14
    I was called into her office and he asks me if I want to get certified to run a state reported test. I looked at them both and said, "No".
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  • 15
    Que awkward silence. They starred at me, I starred at them. They were dumbfounded. Neither could speak. So I turned around and continued about my day.
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  • 16
    One of my coworkers over heard the conversation and had to step outside because she was laughing so hard.
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  • 17
    Gloomy_Tennis_57.... I had a customer tell me I should be excited about untaxed overtime. lady I shouldn't have to work extra hours to survive. the original 40 is supposed to suffice.
    via Strong-Leg-3487
  • 18
    Trippycoma • Haha my boss called me at ten in the morning the other day and asked me if I wanted to work a double. (This was after me asking for a raise and him ignoring me the day before.).
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  • 19
    Lol I told him my hourly rate didn't make overtime worth it and said* no for the first time.
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  • 20
    xsmp sooo...the plot of office space if Peter had just said no in the beginning?
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  • 21
    Sevennix ⚫ Work ethic? How bout work morals? Asking someone at almost quitting time to stay and work late? Maybe a few hours heads up, eh? "Yeahh... I'm gonna need you to come in on SAT urday..."
    via Strong-Leg-3487

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workplace-stories toxic-manager employee work stories toxic-workplace job work toxic-management toxic-boss overworked-employees Horrible Bosses company toxic-work-environment
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