Imagine arriving at work early every day due to your commute schedule. Would you start working right away, or would you wait until your shift started?

In this story, one employee was in this situation and used to start working right away, but then the boss had a suggestion that changed everything.

Keep reading for the whole story.

Only do it out of the goodness of your heart!!!

I work at an office that opens at 8:30am but because of the transit schedule I usually get there at 8:00am and if I missed that bus I would be late by 5-10mins.

Normally, I’ve been answering the phones as soon as I got there, calling back the messages that were left on the machines and just starting work half an hour before we technically open.

I find it easier, as I hate the rush of people coming in that happen right at 8:30am and having to answer the calls, calling people back from missed messages and having to do all the other opening duties all at the same time. It just makes us look like we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off and being disorganized.

Note: when I start early I also clock out early so that my employer doesn’t have to pay me overtime.

The boss doesn’t want OP to start work early.

So recently, my employer gave me the talk about how I’ve been starting early and tells me that I should only start when we open at 8:30am and that if I want to do the other opening duties earlier or answering calls that I should do it “out of the goodness of my heart”… basically no pay for working.

When I start earlier I am making it easier for my employer to start their work as everything has been set up and ready for them.

So after that talk, I still get there early as usual but just sit in the break room playing on my phone or eating breakfast.

Now there’s more work for the boss.

Employer usually gets there 8:20am and when the phones ring, they ask me why aren’t I working??

I just tell them I’m not starting until 8:30am.

So now everyday they get stuck with the flood of calls, getting backed up with all the messages and are slow to start their work each day while I do the rest of the opening duties.

I guess I just don’t have any good in me ¯\(ツ)/¯

It was ridiculous for the boss to expect the employee to start working early without getting paid for it. Why would anyone do that?

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

I completely agree with this comment.

Here’s a snarky comeback idea.

Another person is also expected to work after working.

This is another good point.

If you expect an employee to work, expect the employee to want to get paid.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.