When your working hours end at 5pm, do you pack up and leave, or wait for your boss to go home first?
A Threads post about a Gen Z employee being questioned for leaving work on time has got Malaysians sharing their own experiences, with several millennials saying they do the same.
Shared by @abdul_adzim, the post tells the story of an employee who had a comeback ready when their boss questioned their commitment. However, it does not clarify whether the exchange was an actual incident or a fictional scenario.
‘That’s why I come in at 8am sharp’
In the story, it was 4.59pm, and the employee had already tidied their desk, closed their laptop and picked up their bag.
As the boss walked past, they questioned why the employee always left at 5pm sharp.
You go home at exactly 5pm every day. Don’t you have any drive to help the company progress?”
The employee smiled and replied:
I do, boss. That’s why I come in at exactly 8am.”
The response apparently did not go down well with the boss, who pointed out that they used to work until 7pm.
The employee then delivered another comeback:
No wonder you still look tired now.”
According to the post, the entire office went silent.
A mysterious envelope the next morning
The exchange continued with the boss asking whether the employee knew who paid their salary.
I know, boss. The company. It’s not coming out of your own pocket, right?”
The story then jumped to the following morning, when the employee was called into the boss’s office.
While everyone supposedly thought the employee was about to be fired, the boss handed over an envelope instead.
However, the post did not reveal what was inside, ending by asking readers whether they leave on time or wait for their boss to leave first.
Millennials say they leave on time too
In the comments, several users pointed out that clocking out on time was not something exclusive to Gen Z.
One millennial shared that they leave at 5pm sharp, adding that there will always be more work to do.
Another said they initially felt nervous about leaving on time until their senior colleagues encouraged them to head home.
“My seniors would say, ‘Go home, go home!’ So I’d just pick up my bag. Why would the boss make a fuss when the offer letter says 8am to 5pm?”
One commenter also claimed that a boss had once threatened to deduct their salary for leaving on time.
They said they challenged the boss to explain the legal basis for doing so, after which the boss allegedly had no answer.
Some bosses are already telling staff to go home
Others shared that their managers actively encouraged employees to leave.
One commenter said their millennial boss would start ushering everyone out at 5.20pm, even though the boss usually left at 5.30pm.
“Don’t you all want to go home? Do you know what time it is?”
Another commenter, who identified themselves as a millennial boss, said they encouraged staff to leave on time unless there was an unavoidable programme running late.
Meanwhile, a self-described millennial HR employee said they disliked seeing staff stay back unnecessarily and would tell them to head home.
Their additional reason? Saving electricity.
