Manager marks 1 minute late as a 'no call no show,' consistently asks for 30 minutes of unpaid labor

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Aug 22, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

Should one minute late be considered late?

Everyone has different ideas about what constitutes "lateness." Lateness can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. In some industries, being on time even counts as late. If you're not totally ready to work by your start time, then you might as well have missed it, some people say. Others are much more lenient. As long as you show up within a window of a start time, you're golden. It's different with everyone, and it's different at every job. But this boss had an especially ungenerous view of lateness. In fact, it bordered on being against the law. You might want and need your employees in and working by a certain time, but that doesn't mean you get to demand work for free. You can ask your employees to show up and be ready to work by a certain time, but you don't get to make them work for free. The boss in this story, though, was trying to have it both ways. Unsurprisingly, their employees were getting sick of it and didn't want to be blamed for doing something normal. The employee in this story was definitely feeling that, and had quite a bit to say about the way their employer was treating them. They wanted to reach out to the internet to see if anyone else had experience with this situation, and how they got out of it. Keep reading for more.

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*_{Representative only.}*
*A businesswoman drinks coffee and holds documents on her way into the office*

1 min late = no call no show.

I showed up a minute late for work on Friday and got into serious trouble from my manager. I never show up late but traffic has been hectic, and we are currently going through a storm. I don't understand why, I had texted beforehand, but I still had to get marked as a no call no show. I feel that's a bit too much.

I start at 8am. We are expected to be there at 7:30, not 7:50, not even right on time. I don't get it at all. If it says 8am on the schedule what's the issue with showing up at 7:45? That's the usual time I arrive to work. My boss is a clock watcher but why are mandated to show up earlier before our shift. She always says I can't keep showing up at 7:45 even though I am originally supposed to start at 8. Idk just a bit frustrated over it.

Commenters gave practical advice on how to move forward here.

curmudgeon_andy Here's what your boss can ask for: that by 8 am you are physically present and ready to work. They can request that at that time you are in uniform, your computer is turned on, and even that you've been through a security check. They cannot ask for more than that. They cannot ask you to be present and ready before 8:00.

A_Scaly Manfish Report it to the labor board. 30 mins unpaid wages adds up so fast.

Some suggested escalating this situation to the department of labor.

iaminabox Dept of Labor would really like to have a word with you and your co-workers.

*A white clock near a stack of papers on a desk*

Organic-Mix-5784 If you're mandated to show up early, then you click in early. Anything else is illegal

This commenter weighed in with their knowledge.

RunningAtTheMouth If you are required to show at 7:45, you get paid starting at 7:45. If you show at 7:46 for an 8:00 shift and are marked late, docked, or are punished in any way you have grounds for a lawsuit that I suspect you would win.

Is there a pattern or history? Does she do this to others? If so, the case could be much stronger. I would recommend contacting the local labor board or a labor attorney. Don't try to fight this yourself. Bow and scrape

and do all the things, and document what you do and what happens. If she tells you you may not punch in before 8, write it down when she tells you that. Don't tell her you're writing it down, but do so. Documentation like that helps, and if you're asked if it's true, you can look them in the eye and say

"Yes. That's why I wrote it down when it happened - so it would be documented." Don't document what you think. Don't document things that haven't happened. Do document everything that does happen that may help your case.

Practical advice was desperately needed in this tricky situation.

QuietElf5712 I would report your boss up the food chain. You texted, so how is it a no call no show, besides you did show up, but only a minute late. That's beyond extreme. You should report them to the labor board. Are you in the US?

And expected to be there a half hour early? That's wage theft. Definitely report that.

This commenter laid it out in simple terms for this struggling employee.

jonrpatrick Assuming you're in the US, I sincerely hope you did the following 3 things immediately being marked "no show": 1. Turned around and left the premises. If you didn't "show" then you don't need to stay.

2. Once home IMMEDIATELY updated your resume and started searching for a better quality job. 3. Reported the employer to your Department of Labor (as so many other replies have pointed out).

That's a pretty good way to think about it, thank you very much.

Money-Tiger 8002 When the employee is under the control of the employer, the employee is at work. The law being broken is the Fair Labor Standards Act.

This came up in Peterson vs. Nelnet Diversified Solutions. Employees had to walk through buildings and turn on computers uncompensated. They sued and lost, but won on appeal. The average amount of time was 1.6-2.2 minutes. Over a working year, which is about 252 days, they were getting bilked out of an entire day's worth of pay.

If this is a small-time operation, you can call the Department of Labor. They might try to declare bankruptcy to weasel their way out of paying.

If one minute late is late, then one minute early should be on time.

dsteazy 80 They'd be firing my a for showing up at 7:59 every day. I don't come to work early unless I am being paid for it. Your managers ks, OP.

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