Is it bad to leave work at exactly 5PM?

29dogs · Mar 13, 2026

People who work 9-5 jobs, is it bad to leave work at exactly 5PM?

I've heard from some of my friends that they've been told off by their managers for leaving at exactly 5PM or even just a few minutes after.

But why is this an issue? If they're not paid for the overtime then why are they expected to stay?

ggmopa · Mar 13, 2026

Where do you live? I heard this is the norm in some countries, namely Japan. Apparently it's abnormal to refuse after work drinks there too. But where I am, that is unacceptable in principle and needs reporting.

Word Wizard · Mar 13, 2026

Paid 'til 5, leave at 5. It feels strange to think otherwise. In fact, it's probably illegal here to expect anything beyond that.

shattered world · Mar 13, 2026

No and fuck any company that tells you to stay longer. You’re paid for 9-5 so you get there at 9 and leave at 5.

Who the fuck is over complicating this shit?

RiskyStuff · Mar 13, 2026

It depends on workplace.
At textbooks warehouse they kicked everyone out after certain hour. If you didn't leave, they'd find you and warn you.
At software house they didn't care and you could almost sleep there and nobody would notice. You could as well work 5 hours a day... complete lack of rules! Well, but it was 10 people company.

TheVigilante · Mar 13, 2026

The tendancy I and my all other colleagues had was that we get paid for the 9-5 and not outside the time so why even extend?

People will say that's not true well it is because 9-5 is enough to get the things done

Champagne · Mar 14, 2026

29dogs said:
But why is this an issue? If they're not paid for the overtime then why are they expected to stay?

Because in some work cultures there is strong social pressure to stay, even without pay. For example, in Japan, employees often remain at the office until their boss leaves, even if they are not being paid for the extra hours.

Rem · Mar 14, 2026

and here at our offices
we leave when we leave
that's it
they pride work over strict schedule
schedule only becomes an issue if you are underperforming/delivering
i seen pppl leave 30min before their schedule daily without notice

MisterF · Monday at 12:17 PM

I have a friend who sees people in 9-5 jobs walk into the building at 9, others are at there desks at 9.

One thing he used to get pissed at was those who smoked, going for a 10 minute smoke break every hour. They would then saunter back in, stop to make a coffee and then get to their desk.

I've never worked for anyone else since 1991, so do my own hours.

Rem · Monday at 1:43 PM

MisterF said:
One thing he used to get pissed at was those who smoked, going for a 10 minute smoke break every hour. They would then saunter back in, stop to make a coffee and then get to their desk.

I knew a guy
who did this
except he went on a 40 minute smoke break at the dot of the hour
ppl complained about it and since, the company was managed by complete fucking morons, they kept saying "no evidence points to him abusing smoke break". Which is retarded as fuck, just take out the ID history, every door in the company is tap to enter & leave.
easy to fucking see when he left the office to go "outside" and when he returned.

well, I can see why they ignored it, because they were building a sexual harassment case against him which flopped so they termed him at the end for shitty performance.

Is it bad to leave work at exactly 5PM?

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