Part-Time Worker Outsmarts Overtime Ban by Starting Lockup Early – Boss Panics and Reverses Policy

Working part-time in the opticians department of a major supermarket chain, the storyteller, let’s call her ThereShallBeWings, was used to stretching a 9-hour weekly schedule across weekends.

Saturdays meant 3pm to 9pm, Sundays 1pm to 4pm, with the added responsibility of closing the department.

Closing wasn’t quick; organizing inventory, locking display cases, and making sure nothing got damaged often extended her day well past scheduled hours.

Yet despite routinely working longer than her official schedule, she had never been asked to fill out overtime forms.

Here’s The Orignal Post:

The problem arose when her manager, Val, called a department meeting one Saturday at 3pm – the start of the storyteller’s shift – to announce a strict new overtime policy.

Val’s message was blunt: all overtime must now be approved in writing, and this ban applied specifically to their department.

Everyone else seemed unaffected, but Val made it clear she was directly addressing ThereShallBeWings, the habitual overtime worker.

Fast forward to 8:45pm. Only Val and the storyteller remained in the department.

ThereShallBeWings began locking away the more expensive spectacle frames, aware that doing so took longer than the store’s official closing time.

Val noticed and objected immediately: the handbook dictated the department remain open until 9pm.

The storyteller calmly pointed out that she risked being disciplined if she exceeded her scheduled hours and needed to begin the closing procedure.

The storyteller then used the store’s internal code over the tannoy: “Good evening. Would Mrs Lock please come to the optical department? Mrs Lock to the optical department. Thank you!”

Security responded, fully aware of the situation, and the closing process began in earnest. Val, visibly flustered, scribbled a hasty authorization for 30 minutes of overtime, which allowed the department to be secured without incident.

By the time a customer wandered in, the frames were back on display and business continued as usual.

The next day, Val’s attitude had subtly shifted. She handed out a new rota, increasing the storyteller’s weekly hours to ten and extending Saturday and Sunday shifts to account for the extra work of closing the department.

Her words, slightly formal and rehearsed, effectively reversed the overtime ban: slight overruns were no longer a concern.

What began as a strict policy became a recognition of the practical realities of the role, albeit after a minor workplace standoff.

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

Reddit users widely supported the storyteller’s clever maneuver. Some highlighted the absurdity of scheduling employees to close a department without accounting for the time it actually takes to secure it.

Others lauded the storyteller’s use of the store tannoy and coordination with security, describing the plan as “clever” and “justified.” 

Many agreed that mid-level management often struggles to reconcile corporate cost-cutting with the realities of day-to-day operations, while lower-level employees bear the brunt. 

This story illustrates a classic workplace dilemma: policies versus reality. The official rule was simple – no overtime without prior approval but the practical requirement of closing the department inevitably created extra work.

The storyteller’s solution balanced rule compliance with operational necessity, using clever negotiation and clear communication.

It highlights the importance of understanding the operational context before enforcing rigid policies and demonstrates that employees can sometimes manage “rule conflicts” with ingenuity rather than confrontation.

From a management perspective, the episode serves as a cautionary tale. Overly rigid adherence to policy, without accounting for real-world procedures, can backfire and inadvertently reward the very behavior it seeks to curb.

Allowing for flexible, reasonable adjustments, such as the post-story rota, prevents friction, improves morale, and aligns policy with actual workflow requirements.

TL;DR: A part-time optician faced an overtime ban imposed by a manager who didn’t account for the practical time needed to close the department.

Using clever initiative, she began locking up early while coordinating with security. The manager panicked, authorized overtime, and ultimately extended the employee’s weekly hours, reversing the ban.

Reddit users praised the tactical approach and the workplace lesson about balancing rules with operational reality.