Call center operator obliged to start 15 minutes before his shift to load the company's archaic software, told to work until 4:00 PM on the dot, he complies, ending a call right at the end of his shift: 'I am following expectations and written directions'

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Jun 26, 2026 5:15 PM EDT

As if call center operators didn't have it hard enough already…

Call centers are really awful places that most employees try to avoid when looking for a job, but sometimes you have to resort to them anyway. Some pay pretty good money, others allow you to work only 4 to 6 hours, and some others aren't really that bad because you don't have to deal with problematic customers. Whether your job is in the service industry or in another one, we all agree that something really important to check when choosing a job is the work environment. Unfortunately, most times you are only able to discover it after working in the company for a while.

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  • 01
    I was working at an IT helpdesk at a large hospital quite some time ago.
    via speddie23
  • 02
    A man working at a computer with a headset.
    via sigmund

    A man working at a computer with a headset.

  • 03
    We were expected to be at our desks, logged in, ready to take our first call by the start time of our shift.
    via speddie23
  • 04
    It took about 10-15 minutes to log in, load up and login to 7 different programs, all with different passwords. So really, you needed to be there 15 minutes early.
    via speddie23

    The employee was expected to be at work well before his shift started simply to start loading the company's bloated software.

  • 05
    They were shared computers, sometimes you could get away with just locking it and leaving everything logged in and running until your next shift, but if someone else restarts it in the meantime, you had to log in to everything again.
    via speddie23
  • 06
    It was a constant pain point for us that was frequently raised, especially as for example, when medical staff need to scrub up and scrub down, this is all during their shift time.
    via speddie23
  • 07
    My manager sends a somewhat passive aggressive email to the team
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  • 08
    "Hi all, It seems we are still having lots of issues around our shift times. I want to clarify my expectations.
    via speddie23
  • 09
    If you are on a 7am to 4pm shift, I expect you to be here, logged in, ready to go, and your status on the phone queue as 'available' or 'on a call' at 6:59:59am.
    via speddie23
  • 10
    If you want to make a coffee, fill your water bottle, or put your lunch in the fridge, this needs to all be done before 7am, not after.
    via speddie23
  • 11
    At the end of the shift, I expect you to be 'available' or 'on a call' until 4:00:01pm. Only then may you logout and wash your coffee cup, etc.
    via speddie23
  • 12
    If you are going to be stuck in traffic, have trouble finding parking, or miss your bus, you'll need to manage your time better and leave earlier. Thanks"
    via speddie23
  • 13
    So for a while, I comply, and am always 'available' or 'on a call' at exactly 1 second before my start time, just waiting for my moment.
    via speddie23
  • 14
    And it happens. I get a call a with a splash less than 2 minutes left on my shift and take the call.
    via speddie23
  • 15
    I get about as far as their name, where they are, and halfway through them describing their issue, I see the clock hit 1 second over my shift time.
    via speddie23
  • 16
    I say "sorry to interrupt you, my shift is over. Goodbye", hang up, log off and go home.
    via speddie23
  • 17
    Of course they complain and my manager pulls me into his office, asking me to explain why I did what I did.
    via speddie23
  • 18
    I explain "Well I was 'available' on the phone until about (2 minutes before the end of my shift time).
    via speddie23
  • 19
    I answered the call, putting my status to 'on a call' until 1 second past my shift time, so I logged off"
    via speddie23
  • 20
    They replied "No, if you are on a call, you need to finish that call first"
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  • 21
    To which I reply "Your email says we are expected to be 'available' or 'on a call' 1 second before our shift time, which I have been.
    via speddie23
  • 22
    It also says we are expected to be 'available' or 'on a call' until 1 second past our shift time, and only then may we log off I am simply following your expectations and written directions"
    via speddie23
  • 23
    A visual representation of a computer and a headset.
    via machec

    A visual representation of a computer and a headset.

  • Working environments can be ruined by bad bosses, annoying coworkers, or the company building. In the case of this Reddit story, it was completely awful because of the extra time that he was required to work APART from his shift. This is super common in places like call centers because you have to be taking calls all day, back to back. You can't get up for a coffee or a restroom break without being on break, which is kind of understandable. But you can't also arrive just in time because you have to be taking calls the moment your shift starts, which makes it really common for people to arrive 15 minutes early just to set up all the systems. This time is unpaid, of course. The manager of this employee was not only required to make an early appearance in the office, but also to stay available till 4 o'clock on the dot. This means that a call may appear at 3:59 and the employee has to stay after time, also unpaid.

    I'm not going to go into depth on the legality of this. But what I will highlight is that this user decided to end the call at 4:01 as it was over his shift, and that is something that everyone who has worked in a call center would have loved to do. He was, of course, called out, but the truth is, they should have put a stop to new incoming calls at least 5 minutes before the end of the shift to prevent this. The employee just did EXACTLY what he was told. And that is the malicious compliance we all like so much.  
     

  • 24
    tsian It will never cease to amaze me that there are so many places that somehow expect getting the equipment necessary for work ready is not work time... ugh.
    via speddie23
  • 25
    _gadget_girl Career limiting yes, personally satisfying also yes.
    via speddie23
  • 26
    GrannyTurtle So when the day shift goes home and the swing shift starts, how do they log in at 3:59:59 if you are still on that computer until 4:00:01? Make this make sense.
    via speddie23

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Tags

call center malicious compliance Horrible Bosses overtime
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