AITA for refusing to be on time to work until my boss talks to me about it?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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In the often chaotic world of fast food management, routines are sacred and timing is everything—especially when the person closing the store is eyeing the clock like it’s a ticking bomb. That’s where our story begins. A fast food manager, six years into the job and famously allergic to punctuality, found a unique solution: start their shift an hour early… so being late wouldn’t technically be late.

But things get messy when the store gets a new manager who—surprise—never officially okays the arrangement. While the new boss is silent on the issue, others say he’s been grumbling behind the scenes. The employee, hearing whispers of disapproval, continues to roll in past the scheduled time with a shrug and a “He hasn’t told m

‘AITA for refusing to be on time to work until my boss talks to me about it?’

I work in fast food. I've had this job 6 years, and I've always struggled to be on time. A few months in, I was made a manager. There always needs to be a manager in the building, but at that location, it made no difference if I was late- there were always multiple managers there.

And then I was transferred to my current location. It's smaller, and has a lot less managers. If I was late, someone would be waiting for me to show up so they could leave. After about a week, I sat down with my manager, Eliza, and we made a deal. My schedule was changed so that all of my shifts started an hour earlier.

So I had 9 hour shifts, instead of 8, and there was a guaranteed one hour overlap between me and the person before me. And it worked wonderfully. Even being regularly late, I still had the smoothest transitions because of that overlap, and nobody was inconvenienced.

The manager before me would also sometimes be able to leave early, which everyone (in particular, Eliza, who was salaried) enjoyed. Eliza even tried to convince the others working my shift to do that as well, but they refused. So it's still an 8 hour shift, with only me working 9 hours.

2 months ago, Eliza got transferred. We got a new manager, John. I don't know how the transition goes, but I assumed that even if he was made aware of it, he would not be willing to continue my deal from before. I've had a second job now for 3 months, and easily worked through my lateness issues there (tardiness isn't punished there,

but makes the job much more difficult- the work starts on time, whether you're there or not), and felt like I could do fine with that at my main job as well, as long as we could go back to the 8 hour shifts. But when we got our first schedule made by John, I was still given a longer shift, with an hour earlier start time.

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I honestly prefer it this way- mostly because it allows me to stress a lot less about when I get there. John seems to like it that way too- he regularly leaves early on my days. So I see no need to bring it up with him. But I'm being told by the other managers (and even some crew) that John complains constantly to them about my lateness.. Am I the a**hole for not being on time until my manager addresses it with me?

“Communication bLimeade. “Amight approve of OP’s schedule, but whose silence is turning into passive frustration. Avoiding a conversation might seem easier, but it only delays the inevitable—and possibly makes it worse.

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The U.S. Department of Labor notes that habitual lateness costs businesses billions in productivity each year (DOL report). While some industries tolerate looser start times, shift-based jobs like fast food rely on people being present when expected. And while Gen Z is helping redefine flexible work norms, even they recognize punctuality as a basic respect among peers.

Talk to the manager. Now. A short, professional conversation like “Hey John, I know Eliza and I had a schedule setup to handle my start time—just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page” can clear months of misunderstanding in 30 seconds. It’s not just about being on time—it’s about showing your team that you’re accountable. Because when you’re consistently late and silent? People stop trusting your intentions, even if your performance is solid.

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See what others had to share with OP:

And now for some spicy community feedback—because Reddit did not hold back on this one. Here’s what the crowd had to say:

GlitterSmash − YTA. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I believe habitual tardiness is unacceptable.

RogueMessiah1259 − YTA, dude just stop being late, you have convinced yourself that being late is alright. Just lazy, stop it. If you hate the job so much find something else to do

Samorjj − YTA for being constantly late. It’s disrespectful to everyone else.. You shouldn’t need to be approached. Don’t fix it on your own and you may find yourself jobless.

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jaxpax22 − YTA - This is a job, you’re getting paid for it. You don’t even seem to mention a reason for why you’re constantly late? Seems odd that you would even question whether or not YTA based on this..

[Reddit User] − So basically you’re a lazy, inconsiderate a**hole who wants confirmation that you’re a lazy, inconsiderate a**hole.. Confirmed. YTA. Be on time to work, it’s not hard.

pudgesquire − YTA, and I just have zero respect for someone who’s habitually late to the point that their supervisor had to come up with what is, frankly, a ridiculous method of coddling you so that your tardiness wouldn’t have a direct impact on other people. Like, serious question, is there something wrong with you such that you are physically incapable of being on time,

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or are you just selfish and entitled? You’re an adult. Adults show up to work when they’re scheduled, not when they feel like it. I’m not sure where you got the notion that you’re too important to have to show up on time, but it’s a major character flaw.

just_plain_tired_ − So…. You made your shift an hour longer because you are always late. You’re still late but because your shift starts sooner it’s not as big a deal... So you’re just late on purpose? Because that makes no sense. If your job starts an hour earlier and you get there late but not so late as to cause trouble, then why couldn’t you get there on time prior to the schedule change? This makes… zero sense to me???? YTA though.

ImpossibleHand5086 − YTA: to yourself because you do know the one time he talk to you about it may be your last day

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[Reddit User] − Go find another job and see if they put up with you being late. YTA. Being on time is the basic expectation of any job.

empireOS − YTA I find people who are routinely late infuriating, just get your s**t together. You're paid to be there at a certain time, be there at that time. It's not difficult, everyone else seems to manage. I'm astonished at how people who are late constantly seem to think it's *rules for thee but not for me*.

You should definitely address the situation with your new manager. Him leaving early is not a justification for you to be late. Let's r/explainlikeimfive with 'if he jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?'. Why would you wait until he got irked enough by your lack of time management to drag you into what will ultimately be an awkward conversation for you both?

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The Reddit gang rolled up their sleeves for OP’s situation and delivered a mix of blunt honesty and corporate eye-rolls. Most were crystal clear: being late is a “you” problem, not your boss’s. A few wondered if this was laziness disguised as a workaround. Others called the schedule trick clever—but outdated now that the original agreement is gone. Do their harsh views capture the whole truth, or are they just serving up a side of tough love? One thing’s for sure: OP’s approach has sparked more frustration than sympathy.

In the end, this story isn’t just about clocks and timecards—it’s about responsibility and communication. OP might have coasted on a creative solution, but failing to update the arrangement with a new manager crosses into questionable territory. Workplaces change, expectations shift, and silence doesn’t always mean approval.Would you risk it until your boss says something, or would you bring it up yourself to avoid future blowback? Share your thoughts, your work hacks, or your managerial horror stories—because somewhere out there, another OP is hitting snooze on their alarm.

 

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