When you’re young and working one of your first jobs, it’s hard to care about long term consequences for your action.

Especially when there’s a movie you really want to see.

OP was in his 20s and working at Walmart – doing his best, you know.

It was mid May 2002. If that seems oddly specific, it’ll be clear soon.

I (m22) was working for a certain US wall and/or mart based retail chain with a smiley face for a logo at the time.

I was a sales associate who worked evening shift. In retail they are very clear about not being late so I always clocked in 5-10 minutes early and you can’t go home until the manager gives the say so as we had to clean up the store after close.

Add in that hourlong lunches are too long, and I’d often take 40 minutes and then clock back in.

This led to my working 9–10-hour shifts when only scheduled for 8. This was the norm and for the most part no one cared.

When the company said no overtime, OP did his best to comply.

It’s also important to know that this store vacillated between overtime for everyone when needed to OMG no overtime guys, knock it off!

This was one of those no overtime windows and we were told “no OT without manager approval.” Ah, cue the MC.

Especially when he realized the edict would allow him to see Star Wars.

May 2002 for those that don’t remember or weren’t alive for it, was the premiere of Star Wars Episode 2. This was a big deal to my nerdy Star Wars loving mind.

But… management (or really their heartless scheduling program) scheduled me for that Friday.

I was going to miss it?

Ha, no I was not!

I’d already had 4 shifts that week which means when I showed up for my 2-10pm shift I had already worked about 36 and a half hours. And no overtime meant that I had to leave before I hit 40 hours so as not to accrue any OT.

I checked my hours when I clocked in, did some math on a piece of scrap paper in the Sporting Goods department and calculated exactly how long I had to stay.

Then with only minutes to go I didn’t see a manager to ask for OT.

They were often in the back or front end, rarely in the middle store where I worked, so I marched to the time clock and punched out. I gave my keys to a confused coworker saying I had hit forty.

“Go to talk to Tony” he suggested.

“Tony” is not a pseudonym; I just don’t remember their names 20 years later. Thus, leaving around 5:30ish I had plenty of time for a 7pm show. It was great.

No one was very happy, but they didn’t do anything about it.

On my next shift “Tony” asked why I left early. I said that I had hit 40 hours and had to leave.

“You should have asked a manager to stay.”

It took all my willpower not to say that I didn’t want to stay but I’m sure my early 20s just above minimum wage body language betrayed me.

I said something to the effect of “I’ll look harder next time” that neither of us believed and that was that.

Would Reddit have done anything different? Let’s find out!

Some people could definitely relate.

I’d say they got what they deserved.

No one is going to beg.

This person says it’s secret code.

There are no prizes for doing extra work for free.

I’d say he made the right call.

You can only see Star Wars for the first time once.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.