Store supervisor demands employee keep working beyond closing time to “show commitment to the company”, employee refuses, leaving supervisor to handle customers alone: ‘My shift has ended’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jan 23, 2026 8:00 PM EST

Why would anyone choose to work more if they are not getting anything in return?

You can love your job, love the people you work with, love the hours, and love the money, and still not want to be there a minute longer than you're supposed to. A job is, at the end of the day, a job, and it takes more than enough of your time as it is. There is no reason to give it any more than what you are required to do.

Especially if you are not getting anything out of it. We can excuse employees who agree to stay an extra hour or two at work if they get paid overtime for it–money is a great incentive. But if the only reason to stay longer after your workday is technically over is that you should "show your commitment to the company," then we highly recommend getting out of there as fast as you can.

That is what we would have told the employee in the story below. They work in a gaming store alongside their coworker, who is also the store's supervisor. Every single day, when the store's closing time arrives, the coworker decides to ignore it and allow customers to keep shopping past it. The coworker's reasoning for this is that she believes it is the employee's responsibility to increase the store's sales however they can, even if it means keeping the store open past the closing time. It shows commitment and loyalty to the company, according to her.

The other employee, however, firmly disagrees. He is not getting paid for the time he stays past closing, and he spends more than enough time at work as it is; what reason does he have to stick around for longer than he should?

So he didn't. When his last shift had come to an end, and he saw that the supervisor was still letting customers in the store, he decided to simply leave. It's not his problem that she wants to keep working, and he does not intend to make it one. 

After he left, the coworker became overwhelmed with customers, which led to an unfortunate accident… An accident that the employee who left is now being blamed for. 

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  • Employee putting up a 'SORRY CLOSED' sign on glass door
    via Getty Images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITAH for leaving my coworker to handle customers alone after our shift has already ended?

    I (29M) work in a gaming store where we sell and operate VR games for customers.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • My coworker (42F) has on several occasions continued operating for customers despite the closing time being at 11:00 p.m.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • She leaves the shop open after 11:00 p.m instead of closing the entrance, to allow us ample time to review the sales of the day and send a report to our superiors.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • She justifies her actions by saying we have to show our commitment and loyalty to the company by doing beyond what is required.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • I have told her numerous times that I am not willing to work beyond our duty time, since I have a long 10:00 am to 11:00 p.m.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • break shift duty, with several hours in-between as my break hours. Therefore I need time to myself and proper rest in order to open the shop the next day.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • People Buy in Consumer Electronics Store
    via dotshock

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My coworker has delayed closing the shop close to half a dozen times leading us to work close to an hour beyond our duty times which frustrates me deeply since the extra time is not counted towards overtime pay.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • Recently, she left the entrance door open beyond the closing time, leading to more customers coming in around 11.15 pm.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • I was frustrated since it was well beyond our closing time, this was not the first time she had done this, and I had made some plans for the evening.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • I told her my duty time was over and I had to leave. I could read the frustration on her face but at that point I was well over it.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • I left. I felt bad for leaving her but I felt justified in my reasoning. Later, around 15 minutes after I left, she calls me and says there was an accident at work since she was overwhelmed by serving the customers alone and blamed me for the accident since I had left her to serve alone.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • The customers were not injured, just a little startled from what she told me. AITA for leaving her alone to serve the customers after our shift had already ended?
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • IAteAnother Vegan info: do you have a manager?
    via IAteAnotherVegan
  • Anxious_Suggestion31 Original Poster's Reply Yes we do. The manager frequently talks with my coworker as she was recently promoted to branch supervisor. That may be the reason for her sudden motivation to work beyond the required.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • BKRF1999 What accident happened at a video game store? I would call management and ask how to charge your overtime since the store is open beyond store hours. She'll get a real quick call to correct that.
    via BKRF1999
  • Anxious_Suggestion31 Original Poster's Reply The accident involved a VR roller coaster machine which flips you upside-down and side to side. She did not have time to check if the customer had a seat belt on due to other customers engaging her. She said the customer fell out of the chair, despite having other lock mechanisms already on. I am unsure if the incident really happened since it is almost impossible to fall out of the chair since there are other locking mechanisms other than the seat be
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • Rabt_FTS NTA. Tell her you will be leaving on time every single shift. Why can you lock the door?
    via Rabt_FTS
  • Anxious_Suggestion31 Original Poster's Reply She was recently promoted to the supervisor role, so I try to give the position the respect it deserves.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31
  • Working-Invite2633 Don't worry about your job. They owe you overtime, that over achiever is going to lose her job if she tries to blame you.
    via Working-Invite2633
  • Hot_Needleworker4631 If your shift ends at 11, leave at 11. If your coworker is stupid or brainwashed enough to stay later for free, that's a big her issue. NTA. Personally, I'd email management and tell them she's doing this, letting customers in after hours, pressuring you into staying past your shift time for free (which is blatantly illegal in most places, ALL work has to be paid) etc. I have a feeling upper management will put a stop to it when they realize it could be a legal issue for the
    via Hot_Needleworker4631
  • Riddleboxboy Im sorry. I wouldnt have let it happen even 2 times, id just got lock the door myself and tell people we're closed, fuck that.
    via Anxious_Suggestion31

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boss closing shift workplace-stories employee manager job gaming coworkers supervisor overworked-employees workplace company store
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