Employee logs off at 5pm in the midst of a critical issue that would take 20 minutes to handle, leaving coworkers scrambling: 'There was no overtime approved'

Not all workplaces are created equal. Some jobs require a lot more out of you than others. Some jobs require you to be two feet in at all times, constantly making sacrifices for the sake of your professional life. Other jobs have more flexibility, and you're able to hold your boundaries a little more firmly. We all have boundaries around what we will and won't do for our jobs. You also change with time, and with an understanding of how much you're valued at a particular job. If they do a good job of making you feel seen and rewarded, then you might be willing to go above and beyond for them in return. But if you feel undervalued and overworked, then your patience with extra tasks might run a little bit thin. The worker in this story was in the latter category and had firm boundaries around what they were and weren't willing to do to keep their job. 

The way they saw it, they weren't willing to work for free, even for a few minutes. If their work was so critical, they thought, then their company could spare the extra dollars to make it worth their while. That's not what the boss thought, though. It's important to be a team player, though, even when that sometimes means putting the team's needs above your own. In the moment, though, this is easier said than done. Commenters had split attitudes about this. Some thought that it was right to shut down the offer and refuse to work for free. There is a lot of validity in this. You shouldn't set unreasonable expectations and let yourself be taken advantage of. Others, though, thought 20 minutes was reasonable to spare on a work emergency. Let us know what you thought about it in the comments.