Young Professional 'Caught' Scrolling On Reddit During Overtime, Manager Threatens Pay Cuts

A 21-year-old corporate worker has sparked a debate online after being caught using a mobile phone during overtime hours, despite having finished all assigned tasks. The employee, who jokingly described himself as a "corporate majdoor" (labourer), explained that they had completed their workload an hour before the usual log-off time. Assuming their manager had left for the day at 6:00 pm, the worker decided to stay for overtime pay.

However, the situation turned sour around 8:00 pm. While scrolling through Reddit notifications, the employee was surprised by their manager, who had stayed late. 

Manger caught me using phone in OT(Overtime)
byu/Painting730 inIndianWorkplace

In a scene described as a "horror movie jump scare," the manager appeared at the worker's desk and questioned why they were not working.

"Ask for More Work"

When the employee confirmed that their tasks were finished, the manager reportedly told them, "Then ask for more work."

The incident escalated when the manager alerted senior leadership, instructing them to patrol the office and monitor staff activity. He reportedly pointed specifically at the 21-year-old, using them as an example of poor conduct and threatening to cut overtime pay for those found "idle."

Office Entertainment

While the young worker felt singled out, they noted that several colleagues were also using their phones at the same time but managed to avoid detection. 

The incident turned into a moment of "office entertainment," with peers laughing as the newcomer was lectured like a student in a classroom.

Office-goers chimed in with their thoughts, sharing varying perspectives. One user mentioned their company's strict 6 pm cutoff, regardless of workload, which boosts efficiency. 

Others were more blunt, stating that "overtime" is just a euphemism for unpaid labour, with one user remarking, "If you're not getting paid extra, it's not overtime." 

Some commenters also suggested that the employee should set boundaries, advising him to politely decline requests for work outside office hours by citing the manager's previous behavior, implying a "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" approach.

(Disclaimer: This story is based on a Reddit post. NDTV cannot independently verify the authenticity of the claims made in the post.)