Workplace asks employees to work overtime for free, they all call in sick the next day: 'Manager is freaking out in the group chat about "lack of commitment"'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 2, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

One of the key aspects of work is that you get paid for it. It's kind of a non-negotiable. Or else it would be called volunteering, and we'd get to leave whenever we wanted. But some employers don't seem to understand this, or else don't care that that's the whole conceit. Plus, there are laws in place to help make sure that we're being fairly compensated for our work. Employment law is there to have our backs when our employers let us down.

But more than that, we have our fellow workers. It's a great thing if you can all be in it together, keeping the higher-ups accountable. That's why unions work. There is power in numbers. But even if you don't have a formal union, there are ways to band together as workers that shouldn't go unnoticed. That's what happened in this story, when an employer tried to pull a pretty insane stunt. But the workers realized what power they had if they came together, and made some actual change. Their employer wasn't happy with the result, however. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • A woman looks stressed reading paperwork.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • That didn't stop the employees from coming together to fight for what really mattered. After their employer kept pushing them around and trying to imply that they might lose their jobs if they didn't work for free, they took matters into their own hands. Read on for the details of the story and see what you would have done. 

  • Company tried to force everyone to work unpaid overtime, half the department called out sick the next day.

    My manager called a "mandatory team meeting" yesterday afternoon where he announced we all need to stay 2 hours late every day this week to meet a deadline that management knew about for months. When someone asked about overtime pay, he actually laughed and said "This is what being a team player looks like. It's what separates the people who grow with this company from those who don't."
    via u/notanerdlikeu
  • Someone else pointed out that forcing hourly employees to work off the clock is illegal. Manager's response: "Nobody's forcing you to do anything. We're just strongly encouraging your participation in the team's success."
    via u/notanerdlikeu
  • So naturally, half the department (including me) called out "sick" today. Manager is freaking out in the group chat about "lack of commitment" while the rest of us are sharing memes in our separate chat. Amazing how a deadline that was "absolutely critical to the company's future" suddenly became something they could "rework the timeline on" when enough people refused to be exploited.
    via u/notanerdlikeu
  • A woman lies on the bed exhausted from work.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • Commenters chimed in with their two cents.

    Internal_Air6426 - 16h ago Sounds like the perfect response. Management tried to steal from labor. So labor punished management. That's how it should work except that it should have been everyone who called in not just half.
    via u/Internal_Air6426
  • notanerdlikeu OP.15h ago Yeah, in retrospect we should have gone for 100% completion. Maybe next time.
    via u/notanerdlikeu
  • Troubled_cryst⚫ 11h ago Exactly how it should be. Stand together or get walked all over. Amazing how fast "critical deadlines" disappear when you don't let them steal your time.
    via u/Troubled_cryst
  • UseSlashS 12h ago In this environment, unless they're in one of the few states with worker rights, companies can they want and there's do whatever the f nothing anyone can do about it. This is what a lot of these people voted for.
    via u/UseSlashS
  • HeadSavings1410 • 16h ago . Boss tried to speedrun exploitation...Employees speedran calling in sick...
    via u/HeadSavings1410
  • reala728 16h ago • "This is what being a team player looks like. It's what separates the people who grow with this company from those who don't." this is quite literally the opposite of growing with the company. its growing the company while remaining a spec on some spreadsheet.
    via u/reala728
  • aluminum54 · 15h ago Used to work for Best Buy many moons ago. We had a few managers at one store that any time they did messed up stuff we would have a mass call off the next day or coordinate a Saturday. We called it, the "Blue Flu" Ahhh. The fun days
    via u/aluminum54
  • Pbandsadness 15h ago . Even asking them to work off the clock is massively illegal. I wonder if HR is aware of this.
    via u/Pbandsadness
  • Rope Accomplished... 15h ago • Someone should tell the manager "Well, would you be fine if the company decided to deduct 1 week's worth of pay from you and told you that "It is good for the team"? Would you still work there knowing that you wouldn't get paid for it? What if they took away any bonus you were to get? Since it would be "good for the team." II II
    via u/RopeAccomplished2728
  • In the end, the only people that are expected to actually work for free in hope there is a return on their investment are the owners of the company. Everyone else, while there may be other reasons, ultimately is there for money. Pure and simple.
    via u/RopeAccomplished2728
  • Aggressive_Lake191 · 16h ago You know who is going to get in deep trouble for this (plot twist): The manager. He mismanaged his crew and is going to cause the deadline to be missed. In most places it would all fall on him. Prediction: Overtime will be offered.
    via u/Aggressive_Lake191
  • mercurygreen • 15h ago Yeah, I'd have messaged my HR team IN WRITING asking about it. It's also pretty amazing how fast they can backpedal once someone puts something in writing.
    via u/mercurygreen
  • nogumbofor 15h ago Were they stupid enough to put any of this in writing?
    via u/nogumbofor
  • • ThursdayNeverCame · 14h ago I can't stand it. Today I had to go to a PLANNED and APPROVED prenatal doctors appointment, and my team lead decides to get amnesia, completely forgetting they approved my PTO for today and starts hurling phrases like "Now you have no PTO and a pregnant wife" at me.
    via u/ThursdayNeverCame
  • I really don't know whether to just outright quit or file an HR complaint. This has been eating me up all day. It goes. even deeper than that. Sorry to just spill over like this, I really don't know where else to put it.
    via u/ThursdayNeverCame
  • . Magnet2025 • 15h ago "The lack of prior planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Especially an unpaid emergency.
    via u/Magnet2025
  • dvillin 15h ago The manager was right about one thing. This deadline did force all of you to come together as a team. Against him. Good Job.
    via u/dvillin
  • JTEL918 12h ago Real team players give their team a heads up months ahead of schedule so they can adjust priorities to hit their deadline on time.
    via u/JTEL918
  • Beetlejuice_me • 12h ago That's horrible that someone in the mandatory meeting was sick and spread it to everyone. It would be even worse if this illness kept spreading and people kept calling out sick every other day for the next few weeks. I guess it's just going around...
    via u/Beetlejuice_me
  • Visible_Star_4036 · 5h ago "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine". Beautifully done together.
    via u/Visible_Star_4036
  • Battlecat3714 • 14h ago ...the least he coulda done was attempt a lame bribery of 2 large cheese pizza's from Little Caesars offering to "feed" ya'll w/ a lame a pizza party....employees can't even get the decency to be offended w/ that excuse anymore?
    via u/Battlecat3714
  • Mierdicomics · 8h ago • Lmao reminds me when my boss asked if I could do overtime, and when I asked how much it was paid suddenly there was no need for me to work extra hours
    via u/Mierdicomics
  • wintermute24 • 9h ago Wow. It almost seems like they were real a h les at first, but when you all acted collectively you were able to bargain with them, who would have thunk. I doubt management liked that, they'll possibly do everything they can to prevent this in the future.
    via u/wintermute24
  • Safe-Application-273 5h ago • BUT! Dont share memes in the group chat. Choose what you put in there with care - nothing that will blow up if it's fed back to your company by anyone else in the chat. People can be two-faced. Yes, chat and discuss your concerns, but in a sensible and professional way.
    via u/Safe-Application-273

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article