Many employees fall into the habit of giving extra labor simply because it feels expected.

But one employee learned something surprising when she finally stopped clocking unpaid overtime.

Suddenly, the workday ended at her scheduled time and the world didn’t end!

Keep reading for this story about finally embracing a healthy work-life balance.

I finally stopped staying late and guess what… nothing fell apart.

I used to stay 30-45 minutes past my shift every day because I felt like the work had to be done.

So one day, she decided to make a change — and what she discovered surprised her.

Last month I just stopped. Clock out, pack up, go home.

Nothing happened. Work didn’t collapse. No one yelled.

It honestly makes me wonder why I spent years sacrificing my free time for free.

Boundaries are a beautiful thing!

What did Reddit have to say?

Sometimes you have to step back and ask the hard questions.

True urgency doesn’t really exist in many workplaces.

Work is always going to be there, so it’s up to you to decide how much power you give it.

It rarely benefits someone to do work above their pay grade.

Who knew that the minute she stopped giving away unpaid labor, everything would feel so much smoother.

Clocking out on time may be the smallest rebellion with the biggest reward.