Employee is expected to show up 15 minutes before night shift, coworker gets annoyed she doesn't arrive 1 hour early: 'You aren't considered late until after 6'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Apr 14, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Is there ever a good reason to work hours that are different from what your employer asks of you?

Admittedly, there are many different scenarios where an employee may require a little more flexibility from their workplace. Maybe they have some kind of appointment that they can't move, or they have to attend to family matters as well as hold down a job. There is also a chance that they have to deal with a bad boss who insists on giving them a shift pattern that makes things difficult. However, the fact remains that if somebody is working in a position where they do not like the hours, it is highly likely that the best option for them is to find a different job.

The reality is that it has a knock-on effect on the company when an employee starts bending the rules of what hours they work. Depending on the type of job, their coworkers may be forced to mess with their own shifts just to accommodate them. While there is no doubt that some employers have unreasonable expectations about hours, the rules about when workers clock in exist for a reason. There needs to be a sense of organization about it.

 

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  • A young woman wearing glasses sits at her laptop at night, surrounded by piles of papers
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A young woman wearing glasses sits at her laptop at night, surrounded by piles of papers

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

  • One night shift worker was getting increasingly frustrated with some of her colleagues, thanks to their insistence that she should be turning up at least one hour before her shift. The official policy was that employees should try to be there at least 15 minutes before for a handover, but they would not be considered late unless they arrived past the time that their shift was supposed to start.

    However, as these coworkers were arriving very early to their shifts, they expected everyone else to be doing that as well. The employee felt this was unreasonable, but she wanted a second opinion on the matter. 

  • Am I wrong for not showing up 60 min before my shift starts to relieve my coworker?

    My coworkers are pretty divided on when people should show up for shift change/hand-off. Work shift is 6 PM - 6 AM and they ask you to show up 15 min early but you aren't considered late until after 6. The issue is that some coworkers have been showing up earlier and earlier and think that because of that we should also show up earlier so they can leave earlier too.
    via bipobe
  • Boss reiterates many times as long as we aren't walking in after 6 PM we're fine. A lot of us coworkers are on the same mindset of shift doesn't start til 6 and we come in 15 min early already to get report.
    via bipobe
  • Scenario: I show up at 5:30-5:40 for my 6:00 shift. The coworker relieving me shows up at 5 and is mad that I don't show up at 5 to relieve them early in return.
    via bipobe
  • We have told them it's fine if they want to show up then but it doesn't mean we're going to come in essentially 1 hr before our actual shift starts. One coworker just said "Yeah but here we come in early so you can leave early and then you can come in and get us out of here early"
    via bipobe
  • For me the difference between those 30 minutes in prime traffic time means I have to wake up roughly 1 hour earlier than I normally do just to have more time stuck in traffic (Houston traffic yay)...
    via bipobe
  • In response to us not coming in earlier they still show up at 5 but will wait til 5:30 to get a handoff report from us. These coworkers will then complain about you coming in "late" or that they come in early just to stay later.
    via bipobe
  • TLDR: Shift is officially 6P-6A and our employer asks you to show up 15 min early for handoff. Some people show up at 5P and expect you to show up at 5A in response to them coming in early so they can leave early too. They get mad that we show up at 5:30-5:45 instead of 5 like they do. It's a 14 on and 14 off schedule with the same crew the 14 days on.
    via bipobe
  • Should we be showing up early because they are showing up early? I don't expect them to come in early if I end up coming in early one of the days unless it's something we discussed in advance.
    via bipobe
  • Edit to add: I tried responding to what I could but some important details | added in comments for anyone new: Employer uses timesheets and not a badge/clock-in system and everyone still writes 6-6 even if they came in at 5. 15 min is added automatically to each shift for them requesting the handoffs done 15 min prior. You hand off to the same person for the 14 days. It's split
    via bipobe
  • evenly between coworkers that want to just show up on time and the other half that want to show up at 5 and leave at 5. Another important thing is that they use the same computer and once they log into the systems for the sites you get logged out and the lead will tell you to go home because handoff is done. Staying until 6 is not allowed once the handoff is done. Have tried
    via bipobe
  • saying that I'll stay til handoff time but they ask and force handoff then.
    via bipobe
  • A young woman wearing glasses sleeps on a desk surrounded by piles of papers
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A young woman wearing glasses sleeps on a desk surrounded by piles of papers

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

  • CaptainSnappertain I wouldn't even do the 15 minutes if I'm not on the clock for it. NTA
    via CaptainSnappertain
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply We fill out timesheets and thankfully they automatically pay for 15 mins each shift to include the handoff. Otherwise yeah I wouldn't come in a minute early either!
    via bipobe
  • FormSuccessful1122 Why would you go in an hour early? And why are y'all allowed to leave an hour early just because your relief is there? The shift is 6-6. That is what you should all be working.
    via FormSuccessful1122
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply Unfortunately since we do a timesheet it's also less reinforced because everyone still writes in 6P- 6A instead of payroll being able to see when you badge in and out. The bosses leave before 5 pm and they show up around 8 am so they never witness the drama of this. They just send out emails saying the shift is 6-6 and call it a day.
    via bipobe
  • BulbasaurRanch You don't need to match their stupidity. NTA
    via BulbasaurRanch
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply Best response haha. Some of the other coworkers that are of similar mindset have slowly given in to just showing up early which made me have a moment of "oh crap, am I actually just seeing this differently from the average person?" Phew!
    via bipobe
  • MyChoiceNotYours NTA your boss needs to deal with this ASAP.
    via MyChoiceNotYours
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply They unfortunately know about it but most they have said is just as long as you guys don't show up after 6 you're not late. Plus emails confirming that shifts are from 6- 6... What a great help right?
    via bipobe
  • lizfour Yeah they're just bringing the shift forward an hour. What happens when 5am is the norm, people start expecting 4am?
    via lizfour
  • Sea_Chocolate_3537 NTA it's ok if they want to show up at 5 it doesn't mean they have to release you they could chill in the break room for 45 minutes.
    via Sea_Chocolate_3537
  • jedi_dancing How long does hand-off take? Is it instantaneous? Because if it's not, and you are scheduled to start the minute the previous shift finishes, the company is basically mandating wage theft as part of their schedule.
    via jedi_dancing
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply Like 1-2 minutes on average. 5 minutes if it's sh*t hit the ceiling. Multiple sites are monitored and we just relay any critical alarms info for those sites. Or if an operator needs to be followed up with we give the site and name of the operator. The majority of it is people just chatting with each other if it takes any longer than a few minutes. We get the 15 min automatically paid per shift to come in early for the handoff... Only 15 min. Which we're also wonder
    via bipobe
  • Naval_AV8R Where is the shift manager during all of this?
    via Naval_AV8R
  • bipobe Original Poster's Reply We have leads during night shift and unfortunately a lot of them are on the same mindset of show up early and leave early. It is more the older employees that want to show up at 5 etc.
    via bipobe

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employee work coworkers night shift workplace entitled people
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