Sometimes when computerized systems are flawed, there is a more human way to navigate through it!

In this story, it’s the time clock at work that is flawed, and this flaw can either work for or against the employees depending on how well they understand how it works.

This guy shares how he logged in and out of work to earn some overtime!

Check out the full story.

You want me to be “on time”? Okay- down to the minute.

The timekeeping system at my job runs on a 15-minute increment schedule.

Basically, if you clock in during the first 7 minutes of the increment, it rounds you backward to the start of that segment. If you’re in the last 7 minutes, it rounds you forward to the end of the segment.

Example: You clock out at 4:52? Congrats, the system says you left at 4:45.

He had to do some math!

Now, if you clock in and out multiple times a day (like for lunch), that’s four punches—and potentially up to 28 minutes lost or gained depending on where you land in those increments.

Shortly after I started, I began getting flooded with emails about being “short” a few minutes on my timesheet and was told I had to submit PTO—even though I worked full 8-hour days, sometimes more.

It didn’t matter that I was physically at work; if the system said I was short, I had to burn time off.

This is where it gets fun!

So I started paying attention. Really close attention.

Here’s the twist: my employer doesn’t pay overtime in cash, but they do give you 1.5x time off if you earn it. So one hour of OT = 1.5 hours of PTO.

With some strategic clocking in and out—always landing on the “helpful” side of the 15-minute window—I’ve gotten good at squeezing out those 28 minutes extra a day.

The cherry on top!

That adds up to 140 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) of overtime a week… which, when converted at 1.5x, becomes 3.5 hours of PTO every week.

All for doing exactly what they asked: watching the clock very closely.

Thanks for the free time off!

GEEZ! That was fun!

Why couldn’t the employers figure out the glitch in their system?

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user thinks getting an extra day off is crazy!

That’s right! This user can’t wait for the employers to find out about the problem.

This user shares their experience with a similar clocking system.

This user shares their college experience and how they would navigate the time!

This user also adds their story with their timekeeping system.

That was a clever workaround!

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.