Manager continuously assigns employee 'urgent' work at 4:55 PM, gets annoyed when they push back: 'It feels more like poor planning than an actual business need'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 3, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

It's not a crime to only want to work your legally assigned hours.

While there are professions that normalize and even encourage a large amount of overtime, they are not in the majority. Aside from when they are working towards something important or other exceptional circumstances, most employees expect to be able to regularly clock out at a certain time without any guilt trip for them to stay longer.

Doing extra work isn't the end of the world, so long as people are properly compensated for it and those expectations are set out clearly and fairly. Those who do not want to engage in that kind of work culture will likely avoid these kinds of positions. What is unfair, however, is when an employee expects to work a set number of hours every day, but then circumstances suddenly change, and they are forced into a position where they have to work for longer.

For those who find themselves in this situation, it isn't always easy to speak up. A company or a boss who has these kinds of expectations may not be receptive to criticism of their working practices. Nonetheless, it is important to set clear boundaries when it comes to working hours.

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  • A representation of an employee sitting at her desk in the evening, touching her hands to her face in frustration
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A representation of an employee sitting at her desk in the evening, touching her hands to her face in frustration

  • An employee had spent a year in their job and was mostly happy with it, except that their manager tended to assign work at the last minute. At the end of the week, their boss would message them just minutes before they were due to finish and ask them to complete a task by tomorrow.

    They tried to please their manager at first, but life commitments meant that it just wasn't possible to keep doing this. They told them that any non-urgent task could wait until the next working day, leading to disappointment from the boss. They weren't sure how to approach the topic in the future.

  • My manager keeps assigning me urgent work at 4:55 PM. Am I being unreasonable for pushing back?

    I've been at my company for about a year. Overall I like the job, the pay is decent, and my manager has always been friendly. The problem is that almost every week, usually on Thursdays or Fridays, I'll get a Teams message around 4:55 PM asking me to finish something "before tomorrow morning."
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • These aren't five-minute tasks. They often take one to three hours and usually require checking data from several departments. My official work hours end at 5:00 PM, and I have about a 45-minute commute home. I also have evening responsibilities that make staying late difficult.
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • The first few times I stayed because I wanted to make a good impression. But now it has become an expectation. If I say I'll do it first thing the next morning, my manager responds with things like, "I was hoping to have this tonight," or, "It would really help if you could knock this out before you leave."
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • What's confusing is that these assignments don't seem to be true emergencies. Sometimes they're reports that won't even be reviewed until the following afternoon. It feels more like poor planning than an actual business need.
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • Last week I finally said that I couldn't stay and would complete it first thing in the morning. My manager wasn't ride, but they seemed disappointed and have been noticeably cooler toward me since then.
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • Am I being unreasonable for expecting work assigned five minutes before the end of the day to wait until the next morning, unless it's a genuine emergency? Or is this just something employees are expected to accept if they want to be seen as team players? I'd appreciate hearing from managers or people who've dealt with something similar.
    via Mobile-Ad-7924
  • A side view of a model representing an employee sitting at her desk in the evening, touching her hands to her face in frustration
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A side view of a model representing an employee sitting at her desk in the evening, touching her hands to her face in frustration

  • Key_Turnover_4564 This is called testing boundaries. If you don't push back, this will become the new norm.
    via Key_Turnover_4564
  • Snoo_33033 Nah. Eff that guy. I used to work for one of these. I worked for him. for a year and he ruined many great nights of personal time that often were for no reason at all except that he didn't plan ahead for his own meetings with our founder.
    via Snoo_33033
  • Then he sacked me eventually because he basically blamed anything he did wrong on the executives like myself who actually did the work. Get out now, protect your time.
    via Snoo_33033
  • EmotionalBand6880 "I understand that you were hoping to have it tonight, but that's not going to be possible when you bring it to me 5 min before EOD. I'll work on this first thing in the morning."
    via EmotionalBand6880
  • PsyPup If it doesn't need to be done within the next few hours, it's not really urgent. IF it can wait till tomorrow, it waits till tomorrow.
    via PsyPup
  • LawyerDad1981 ... they seemed disappointed..." They've been disappointed before. They will again. It's part of life.
    via LawyerDad1981
  • Hot-Choice8862 I would start checking in with them at 4pm on any tasks that should come first in the morning. You might be able to knock it out before 5pm but start communicating premtivly
    via Hot-Choice8862
  • VorionLightbringer Not unreasonable to demand a minimum of planning from your manager. I don't expect anyone to stay beyond their 8 hours. The only time I ask for something at 4:55pm is when defecation hit the oscillation. Definetely not on normal stuff.
    via VorionLightbringer
  • Any manager worth their job title should be able to plan a week+ in advance.
    via VorionLightbringer
  • Bring_da_mf_ruckus Don't let his lack of planning become your emergency
    via Bring_da_mf_ruckus

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employee workplace overtime bad bosses
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