Evening shift employee constantly arrives 15 minutes late at 5:15, day shift coworker stops staying after her shift ends at 5:00 to cover for her: 'By 5:05, I decided I was leaving.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Mar 23, 2026 8:00 PM EDT

The manager needs to solve the lateness problem, because simply enabling it doesn't solve it. 

If there's one thing I hate, it's tardiness. I'm not talking about someone being late once, but rather chronic lateness that persists without resolution. I know that every time I hang out with one friend that shall remain nameless, the train is not running 20 minutes behind, despite their claims. They chose to leave when they did, which means they didn't give themselves enough time to arrive on time in case the train actually runs late. I know that might sound excessive to some, but that's what I do, and I am hardly ever late for any event I'm supposed to be at. It's way better to walk around the block for 10 minutes than to run to your destination, hoping that you'll manage to be less than 15 minutes late. Just because society says it's acceptable to be late doesn't mean you have to accept that. 

Being late to work can be socially acceptable, depending on where you work. If your company has employees from all over the world, it's unlikely that arriving 10 minutes late will cause a major crisis, especially if you're salaried. But if you work hourly, and you need to stay at the shop you work in until someone else comes in for their shift, a late Lenny will force you to stay late, even after you've done all of the work you're supposed to do. The worker in this story knows that well. 

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  • A woman behind a counter with a menu in front of her
    via TONG KBP

    A barista smiles, even though she has to stay late to cover for her coworker.

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

  • Am I the bad guy for leaving exactly on time even though my coworker came in late and expected me to stay longer?

    i work a fixed shift job. nothing fancy, just something where timing actually matters because there always needs to be someone covering.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • my shift ends at 5 pm. not "around 5," not "until things are done." it's a handoff system.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • the next person comes in, i leave. one of my coworkers has a habit of coming in late.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • not crazy late, but enough that it's noticeable. 10 minutes, sometimes 20. management has talked to them about it, but it still happens.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • A manager holding his phone and an employee holding a cup of coffee outside of a cafe
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    The manager tells his employee that she needs to come in on time, to no avail.

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

  • usually when they're late, i just stay a bit longer so there's no gap. i don't make a big deal out of it because i don't want to cause issues or leave things unattended.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • but over time, it started feeling like an expectation. like they knew i'd just cover for them.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • last week, i had plans right after work. nothing huge, but something i didn't want to be late for.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • they were late again. i waited a few minutes, but by 5:05 i decided i was leaving.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • i sent a quick message saying i'm heading out and that they'll need to handle things when they arrive.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • they showed up around 5:15. later that evening, they messaged me saying it wasn't cool that i left them like that.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • they said it's part of being a team to cover for each other, and that i could've stayed just a bit longer.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • i told them I've been doing that for a while, and it shouldn't be expected every time.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • now it's a bit awkward at work. some people say i was right because it's not my responsibility to cover for someone else's lateness.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • others say i could've just stayed since it wasn't that long. from my perspective, it's less. about that one day and more about the pattern.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • Two baristas looking at a phone while on their break from work
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    Two baristas look at a cell phone together, discussing the workplace drama over a secret groupchat, perhaps! 

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

  • AITJ? tl;dr: coworker is often late so i usually stay past my shift, but one day i left on time because i had plans.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • now they say i didn't support the team.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • rosyquiver_521 nah you're not a j . covering once in a while is being a team player, but when it turns into a pattern it's just you picking up their slack. 5:00 is 5:00
    via u/rosyquiver_521
  • HorseAdditional 1669 Original Poster's Reply i totally agree, it seem they become comfortable since im always there to cover them
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • MindTheLOS NTJ - it's not being part of a team to constantly screw your coworker over by being late. They are well aware of when their shift starts, and management has spoken to them about this problem. - Spoiler the person who complains about you not being a team player is never a team player.
    via u/MindTheLOS
  • HorseAdditional 1669 Original Poster's Reply I totally agree, she is the one who not considering other people time. She should gave respect to the time of everyone.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • Lumpy_Ear2441 NTJ ~ You did right. Besides, you said management has talked to this person about being late. They know what they're doing and assume you'll always cover.
    via u/Lumpy_Ear2441
  • HorseAdditional 1669 Original Poster's Reply yeah, and now they know i wont cover them it seems they want me to look bad and guilt trip me.
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • JunoJayJ It is being part of a team to cover for the other when needed but so is calling the other and let them know you will be late, by how many minutes and asking if they can cover or if they have other plans that mean they have to leave on time and you have to find other solutions. So NTA.
    via u/JunoJayJ
  • HorseAdditional 1669 Original Poster's Reply thank you for seeing my point here, I already gave them a favor but making it most of the time is too much
    via u/HorseAdditional1669
  • SasaLeleHLL Well said. This coworker totally manipulating OP, and manipulating the story they're telling to your co- workers. The ones who are saying "you could have stayed, it wasn't that long" may not know that you've been doing this regularly. Late coworker is trying to shape the narrative so that you look bad instead of them for being late regularly. NTJ
    via u/SasaLeleHLL
  • Excellent_Ad1132 Ask them if you are getting paid for the extra time you stayed due to late coworker. If the answer is no, then mention the agency that handles wage theft where you live. Most places are very serious about hourly wages not being paid. I would mention the name of the agency, but not sure what it might be called where you live.
    via u/Excellent_Ad1132
  • DeadMetalRazr NTJ. This is a management problem, not yours.
    via u/DeadMetalRazr
  • mzmm123 NTJ You are absolutely right; it's your co-worker who is letting down the team by not doing their job as they are assigned to do. Since they want to make something of this, I'd stop covering for them altogether and let them know that from this day forward, you'll be leaving on time. Any one who has anything to say about that and team support is welcome to pick up the co-worker's slack - but you won't be doing it anymore. Let's see who volunteers to stay.
    via u/mzmm123
  • wintersedge That is a management issue. Find a reason to leave exactly at the end of your shift everyday. It is on management to manage your coworkers tardiness. Also, their issue to manage that you have to leave on time and they can work the gap.
    via u/wintersedge

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management covering shift employee barista coworkers friends working plans late
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