Boss charges employees $5 when they're late to the morning meeting, one employee refuses to comply: ‘So that's theft’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Sep 25, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

"If you want my money boss, you can take it up with HR."

Let's face it, many workplaces take a lot more than they give, especially from their employees. Even though the pay employees are given is supposed to make up for the work they provide for the company every single day, we all know that we end up giving a lot more than just that. Think about it: you don't just give 8 hours of your day to work; you give 8 hours plus however long it takes to commute, which is often hours more daily. And it's not just about the work you do in the office, but all that extra time you spend after hours and during weekends answering texts, emails, or simply thinking about the work you will do once you're back. When you add up all these little things to the actual job you get paid to do, you might realize the money that ends up in your paycheck (after taxes, of course) is not really worth it.

So, if you consider all that, and then read about the boss below who tried to charge employees for being late to the morning meeting, you will understand just how much some workplaces take from their employees. How can a boss look at an employee straight in the eye and ask them to Venmo him $5 for being 10 minutes late to a meeting? Not only is it incredibly unreasonable, it honestly sounds quite illegal, and if we were the ones staring back at our boss's face after a request like that, we would definitely ensure HR joins the meeting next time.

When reading the story, we were surprised to learn that some employees actually paid the boss the $5 after arriving late to the morning meeting. The boss promised to use the money for a team breakfast once they had enough, but the fact that he was using his personal Venmo to collect it does not sit right with us. It also didn't sit right with one team member, who decided to refuse to participate in what felt like actual theft…

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  • 01
    Boss waving cash around.
    via Africa images

    Boss waving cash around.

    Image depicted solely for explanatory purposes.

  • 02

    Manager started charging us $5 for being late to the morning meeting

    We have a 9am meeting every morning with about 12 people. Last week my manager announced an "accountability pot" where
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 03
    anyone who joins more than 5 minutes late has to send him $5 on Venmo.
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 04
    He says the money will go toward breakfast for the team once the pot gets big enough.
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 05
    Yesterday one of my coworkers came in 8 minutes late because her train was delayed and he actually pulled up the Venmo QR code
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  • 06
    on his phone and waited for her to pay before starting the meeting.
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 07
    Even if it's only $5, I'm not sending my manager money because I walked into a meeting six minutes late. If
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 08
    the company wants to buy us breakfast they can buy us breakfast.
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 09
    I'm the only person who has outright said I'm not participating. Everyone else seems annoyed but is just paying it.
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 10
    Since when are managers allowed to run workplace fines through their personal Venmo?
    via Mission-Heron-3916
  • 11
    Morning business meeting.
    via Getty Images

    Morning business meeting.

    Actor performance of story events.

  • 12
    Jmm060708 So that's theft. I'd call the department of labor.
    via Jmm060708
  • 13
    jocky091 It's illegal... they can't dock your pay like that for being late, right? Is that in writing for their policy?
    via jocky091
  • 14
    LogRollChamp Email or call your local labor board and ask. They are incredibly responsive and the only people that can comment on your local laws
    via LogRollChamp
  • 15
    fluffycritter Hot take: if they are having trouble with people being late for a 9 AM meeting, they should consider whether the meeting really needs to be at 9 AM.
    via fluffycritter
  • 16
    Paladine PSOT Next time he opens his Venmo and waits, pick up your phone and pretend you're loading venmo, while instead you're dialing HR on speakerphone right then and there. "My manager is requiring me to pay $5 out of pocket to his personal account for being late to a morning meeting..."
    via Paladine_PSoT
  • 17
    Mean-Cheesecake-2635 Tell him to have HR take it out of your paycheck and see how that goes
    via Mean-Cheesecake-2635

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boss workplace-stories employee hr manager job meeting fine tales-from-the-workplace workplace company
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