Boss Tells Employee To Show Up Early To Work But Don't Clock In

Unless an employee is being compensated for coming into work early, an employer should think twice about asking.

By Nia Tipton — Written on May 11, 2023

Photo: TikTok

An employee is calling out bosses everywhere for telling workers they need to show up minutes before their shift starts for no real reason at all.

In a video, TikTok user Christian Maldonado, who often makes skits of different workplace scenarios, acted out a conversation between a boss and an employee, where Maldonado was told by his "boss" that he needed to start coming in before his shift, but wasn't being paid to arrive early.

He was asked by his boss to come in 15 minutes before his shift but was not allowed to clock in.

While acting out the role of both the boss and employee, Maldonado was approached by his boss, who told him that from here on out, he would need to arrive for his shift 15 minutes earlier. "Okay, so start clocking in at 7:45 a.m.," he clarified with his boss.

However, his boss immediately shut down the idea, telling him that there was no need for him to clock in and that all he had to do was show up and sit at his desk. "Just be here 15 minutes early," his boss reiterated.

"But if I'm not clocked in, how am I getting paid?" Maldonado asked. When his boss told him that he wouldn't be, he inquired what was the incentive for him to arrive 15 minutes before his scheduled shift if he wasn't able to benefit from overtime.

His boss claimed that the implemented rule was only because he wanted employees to "already be at their desks and ready to work." Maldonado politely declined to participate in the new work policy, responding, "Oh okay, so I won't be doing that."

"Just because you won't be getting paid?" his boss asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe that an employee would refuse to come to work early if they weren't being compensated for it. "That's literally the only reason I come into work," Maldonado pointed out.

"That's the only reason we're talking right now, I'm getting paid for this conversation," he joked. "What else do you want to talk about?"

It makes sense that an employee would refuse to come in early without being paid, even if it is 15 minutes, as that still counts as working overtime. Especially as studies have shown that employees working overtime can lead to various levels of stress and other issues.

According to the World Health Organization, via BBC, research found that working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with a working week of 35 to 40 hours.

In the comments section, people shared their own experiences of being asked the same thing by their boss.

"Had a call center try this and got mad as hell when we all clocked in early in order to do as they asked," one TikTok user wrote.

Another user added, "I wish I knew this at my previous job. They made us be there 10 minutes before our shift and clock in at our shift time."

"Had a manager try this once, I said, 'Unless you're planning on paying me extra I'll be here when I'm paid to be here.' They didn't mention it again," a third user shared.

Boss Tells Employee To Start Arriving 15 Minutes Before His Shift But Refuses To Let Him Clock-In Early

Unless an employee is being compensated for coming into work early, an employer should think twice about asking.

He was asked by his boss to come in 15 minutes before his shift but was not allowed to clock in.

In the comments section, people shared their own experiences of being asked the same thing by their boss.