Woman reports that her coworker showed up 30 minutes late, and management blames her for the fallout: ‘They figured the whole thing was my fault for disclosing that my coworker was late and was the person responsible for the 1 star review’

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Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor
Sep 17, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Yeah, and the butterfly that flew in front of my nose this morning is why I failed math 15 minutes ago

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This story's depiction of management reasoning is way beyond my comprehension. I get that you're mad because you got a 1-star review and you want to blame somebody, but why not blame the person who's directly responsible for showing up late instead of the person who worked their entire shift before them? The way some minds work amazes me.

Yeah, ideally, the worker who came before the woman who showed up 30 minutes late should have stayed until her coworker was up and about; but this is real life, and people have real-life commitments to arrive at after work that can't be delayed. Plus, leaving before the other worker came in isn't enough reason to blame her for her coworker's tardiness; she worked her entire shift! Sorry, it's that I still can't wrap my head around it.

This is definitely one of those workplace absurdities that sometimes happen, but I trust it can't last for long as a valuable form of reasoning.

What would you do in this employee's situation? Would you argue or make your boss pay you more for the extra hours?

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  • Cheezburger Image 10663943168
    via Christopher Luther

    How can you show up 30 minutes late? 

    Not actual story subjects



     

  • Coworker is late, I get a write up

    I work bar at a restaurant and do double shifts on Fridays and Saturdays. My relief for my only break on Saturdays is chronically late, we even adjusted her in time an hour later to help her get in on time but
    via KeepTheNolander
  • she's just as late to her pushed back shift. The other week its about 15 minutes past when I'm supposed to go on break, I've only got a pair of older ladies at the bar who seem like they're wrapping up. I
    via KeepTheNolander
  • tell them I'm about to go on break and I ask them if they want anything before I leave and they decline and say they'll check out with me. We do that and I tell them the next bartender will be in soon but she's running late, I tell
    via KeepTheNolander
  • my manager I'm going on break and I clock out. When I return from break another manager is loitering near the bar and asks me to come with her to the office, I follow her and when we enter the
    via KeepTheNolander
  • office the GM is filling out write up paperwork. Apparently my coworker was a full 30 minutes late, the managers checked on the two ladies at the bar about 10 minutes after I left and they were still
    via KeepTheNolander
  • sipping their cocktails and didn't need anything. When my coworker finally arrived there were a bunch of drink tickets for the dining room that hadn't been made and while she was getting those caught up the two ladies where
    via KeepTheNolander
  • Cheezburger Image 10663943680
    via Inera Isovic

    The manager blaming the other employee

    Recreated scenario included to enhance reader understanding



     

  • still there and apparently decided to have another round. She tells them she'll help them after she gets. caught up, they say something to the effect of "if you weren't late you wouldn't be so backed up" my coworker is
    via KeepTheNolander
  • confrontational with them and tells them they don't. know why she was late and to mind their business. At this point they just start arguing and yelling, a manager steps and gives the ladies a round on the house but they still end up
    via KeepTheNolander
  • leaving a 1 star review on google. I figured they brought me down to see what happened with the ladies before my coworker had the altercation with them but was shocked to learn I
    via KeepTheNolander
  • was being written up. They figured the whole thing was my fault for disclosing that my coworker was late and was the person responsible for the 1 star review. I write in the write up comment that I feel I'm being written up for
    via KeepTheNolander
  • another employee being late, but they have their minds made up so its still in my file. This week I tried to take my break on time as the bar was empty, I'm told that from now on I just
    via KeepTheNolander
  • have to stay on until my coworker arrives regardless of how late shel is even though my expected in time from break won't change. Can't wait to find another job that pays enough to quit this corporate nonsense.
    via KeepTheNolander
  • Cheezburger Image 10663943424
    via Chris Wade

    The train showing up 30 minutes late

    Licensed media provided as editorial context



     

  • The only solution to a problem like this is to get another job. Clearly, management is not organizing their priorities right, and they will lose a valuable employee over their least valuable employees’ mistakes. It’s a mistake they’ll have to learn from through experience. I get that they just wanted to avoid the tardiness from happening again and ensure that the responsible employee takes care of it, but making them work double without incentivizing them will never be a good option. Great job at taking care of your business!

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workplace-stories toxic-workplace work workplace toxic-work-environment
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