A lively New York media agency in the late 2000s hummed with young staff handling demanding projects for far-off West Coast clients, often starting late to match their hours. Then a fresh CEO arrived, enforcing a firm 8-to-5 schedule drawn from his European background, upending the adaptable routine that ensured smooth overlap.
The team embraced it fully, departing precisely at five and savoring unexpected free evenings. Soon enough, California clients faced unanswered calls and mounting delays, sparking waves of complaints that swiftly exposed the policy’s flaws.
A New York media agency team complied with a new CEO’s rigid hours, disrupting West Coast client service.
Imposing strict office hours in a client-facing role can feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole, especially when teams span coasts. The original poster (OP) worked at a NYC-based media agency serving California clients, where the norm was starting at 10am and wrapping up around 7 or 8pm, perfect for overlapping with West Coast business hours.
Enter the new CEO, fresh from Europe, who decreed everyone must be in from 8am to 5pm ET. The team complied eagerly (who wouldn’t love leaving at 5?), but within two weeks, the policy vanished as frustrated California clients struggled to reach anyone after their own lunchtime.
From one perspective, the CEO aimed to boost discipline and presence, perhaps drawing from cultures with earlier starts. Yet the team’s motivation was practical: aligning with clients to deliver seamless service. Their “malicious compliance” wasn’t spiteful, it spotlighted how ignoring operational realities disrupts business. On the flip side, flexible hours suited the young, energetic staff, who even stayed late for perks like company car rides home.
This story ties into broader workplace dynamics around time zones and flexibility. In distributed or multi-coast teams, rigid schedules often hinder communication and client relations. According to Buffer’s 2023 State of Remote Work report, 62% of respondents work with teammates across multiple time zones, and 14% call it their biggest remote work struggle.
Prithwiraj Choudhury, a Harvard Business School professor, notes the impact: “There are many benefits to the individual and the company from embracing work-from-anywhere. But there are also challenges – and one of those is that when people are spread out across time zones, communication is affected.” His research shows that mismatched schedules reduce real-time interactions, pushing some to work off-hours.
The lesson? Successful leaders observe existing cultures before overhauling them. Solutions include staggered shifts for client coverage, asynchronous tools for updates, or hybrid flexibility. Prioritizing client needs over uniform hours keeps everyone happier and more productive
Here’s what Redditors had to say:
Some people support retaliating against inconvenient meeting times by scheduling equally inconvenient ones.
Some people emphasize the importance of observing and respecting existing culture before making changes.
Some people share experiences of dealing with inconsiderate scheduling across time zones or regions.
Some people describe encounters with managers or clients who ignore time differences or employee convenience.
Some people comment on work policies like return-to-office or shift scheduling.
In the end, this Redditor’s team turned a stubborn policy into a quick reality check, proving that client harmony often trumps clock-watching mandates. Do you think the CEO learned to adapt, or was it just a funny flop?
Would you have doubled down on the early exits like some commenters, or pushed for compromise upfront? How do you handle mismatched schedules in your work life? Drop your thoughts below, we’re all ears!
