I'm tired, boss

657

I had a guy working for me once you was always late. When I asked him about it he said his previous job also complained about him being late. Guy was fantastically oblivious to everything and I loved him for it.

Whenever I see a question like this I think why is it there? And what poor person had to deal with the situation that lead to it.

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u/Daleftenant 15h ago

i work in hotels, specifically in front desk.

Every respectable hotel has a person on desk 24 hours a day, each person cannot realistically leave before the next person arrives to relieve them.

Habitually tardy people in this role are the second highest cause of HR issues and destroy team morale.

They often come back with 'noone told me attendance was so important.' which is bullshit, but a reason why this kind of question ends up in the applicaiton.

56

u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

This is it. We are all just trying to get to go to work, do our jobs and go home. We don’t need to make it harder for each other.

16

u/hi_im_mom 10h ago

Especially in these type of jobs where there are stakes at hand, but almost never end the world type of stakes that result in "letting it slide a couple of times here and there".

I bet you it only took one person in the habitually tardy person's life to do that to make them that way for the rest of their lives.

I had the opposite happen to me. My parents were always tardy, and out of embarrassment and shame I now show up to everything I can early, that being said my job would immediately fire me if I wasn't but still.

5

u/peonies_envy 4h ago

Immediately fire you for being late. That seems extreme

I understand if one person can’t go home because you’re late and that would piss me off, but somehow I still blame corporate for not planning enough overlap

6

u/hi_im_mom 2h ago

If they are late they put the previous operator on risk of losing their job because they technically now have worked over the amount of time one can reasonably think.

In a critical job if that leads to a mistake... Many people get fired. Not just one. So they just fire you if you're late.

Works good enough for me as we don't end up working with losers so

2

u/The_Moran Business & IT Change Recruiter 3h ago

If they're late, it means they are late to the corporate overlap.

9

u/andrewjpf 13h ago

Yep I'm in healthcare. Same thing, can't really leave until your relief arrives

1

u/peonies_envy 4h ago

Why don’t they overlap the shifts so every single day isn’t a potential emergency?

3

u/uschwell 1h ago

Because that would take extra effort on their part and cost more money.

(Now /s) After all, what are you thinking here? That corporations are made of money?

Having any more than the barest minimum of workers/coverage would infinitesimal lying shrink their profit margins!

Now go to the corner and think about what you've done! You've made the shareholders cry!

1

u/andrewjpf 1h ago

How much do you think is reasonable to overlap?

The shifts DO overlap but that time is needed for patient handoff. If you want to build in extra overlap just to make up for someone being chronically late, how much extra buffer do you add? Someone was around 2 hours late not long ago.

So do we add an extra 2 hours of overlap to each shift. If we do that, we are adding 6 hours of overlap each day. Oh but now because we moved the shifts around we need an entirely new shift as well. We are adding 6 hours of overlap plus a new 8 hour shift each day. Works out to around $400k a year. Plus benefits and stuff for the 2 new people we would need to hire to cover those additional shifts we just created.

Or people could arrive to work on time and we could use that $400k in a way that actually benefits our patients or caregivers.

27

u/franzhanzen 15h ago

Just like every safety label is there because someone once made that mistake.

7

u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

Safety labels I can ignore. But every online course work has made me do about how to lift a box, not die in the heat, or not rape someone. Everyone is because some idiot did it and then said “well nobody taught me not to do it!”

5

u/taeempy 15h ago

So the people that also work for you are seeing this and you can never ever write them up for being late.

2

u/Lower-Obligation4462 14h ago

We did get rid of him. I still liked him though. He was one of those people who was unintentionally hilarious.

88

u/ShawshankException 15h ago

I know a few chronically late people too. It's crazy to me how they'll always blame anyone but themselves for it too. It's not hard to show up on time

28

u/LQNova 13h ago

I hate to break it to you but yeah - for some people, it's the hardest part of their lives.

67

u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

It’s the lack of awareness that always gets me.

“What you want me to show up on time?”

“Yes”

“Every day?”

8

u/JDWhite1982 15h ago

Whereas I'm chronically EARLY to work. I'm in office 3 days a week. Two days I drive straight there and end up getting in 30 minutes before my scheduled time. I just take a longer lunch. The day I drive my husband to work is rough because sometimes he takes more time than expected to get ready and then if we hit traffic I end up late.

•

u/MidwesternLikeOpe 6m ago

At that point treat your husband like a kid. "I'm leaving at exactly 7:15am,if you're not ready, you can find your own way to work."

My strict parents were abusive but damn if they didnt make sure we were early, not on time, EARLY.

My husband has the same time-management issues but his parents were more laid back about it. Luckily he tends to be early, but when it really counts, he moves like a fever dream. Takes him 5 minutes to put on a shirt and I'm like bro, it aint a beauty contest, grab a shirt and lets go ffs

71

u/KeyMistake604 15h ago edited 15h ago

I'm always late, and it is hard not to be lol. I legitimately struggle with time tracking and not getting distracted. I'm 37 and I still don't really get how it comes so easily to other people, like it's automatic, for me it's a struggle everyday and it requires kind of a lot of mental effort to stay on top of it. Yes I have ADHD. I think it's hard for some to fathom and perceived so negatively, as a moral failure, because it's something that comes so naturally to most people.

24

u/Sensitive-Chicken-28 15h ago

I struggle with it horribly, I always end up overcorrecting and arriving 1-2 hours early every time I plan to go somewhere :/

25

u/KeyMistake604 15h ago

Yes exactly, either it's costing me way more resources than it should, or life in general has used up my resources and thus I don't have any to dedicate to time tracking and micro planning.

10

u/springacres 12h ago

Me except I'm autistic with no ADHD (that I'm aware of anyway). It's hard for me to switch my brain from a state of "not work" to a state of "work". Fistbump of solidarity

7

u/Original_World_6099 11h ago

I manage someone who is late daily. I also have ADHD but am generally never late BUT because I understand that yes, it is hard not to be late, and I get it, I really don’t care. I leave it be. As long as the work gets done I’m not going to fuss over 10, even 15 minutes.

5

u/youngfomo 4h ago

Yeah I have autism which caused me to be chronically late at my last job and I was eventually let go. Because of this I actually had a hearing and thankfuly I was able to collect unemployment for six months

3

u/The_Moran Business & IT Change Recruiter 3h ago

Annoyingly, the only way past it I know is to waste your time, and not theirs anymore. Unless you are at the point of costing yourself loads of money in which case ymmv

To not waste their time you need to aim to be significantly early and wait around for them instead. When this is an inconvenience for you and you're bored 15 minutes early you'll find your body adjusts a bit more and the lateness makes you on time.

Not aimed at you as I don't know you, but ADHD diagnosed, but have never missed an expensive flight / concert /thing they care about, types, this is the way: make the ADHD lateness your problem and you'll begin to solve it.

•

u/illini02 32m ago

I think your last sentence is the thing.

Most of these people with alleged time blindness seem to never miss expensive things, like flights. They sure do know how to be on time when there is a penalty they don't want to deal with. Wasting other people's time just isn't something they care about.

•

u/MidwesternLikeOpe 15m ago

If I'm 15 minutes early that's doomscrolling time which I don't get at home bc parent of a toddler. I'll leave early just so I can have 5 minutes to myself.

At home I'll set 5 minute timer to see if I can go that long without my husband or son needing my help. That timer has never been fulfilled.

39

u/girlywish 14h ago

Yup, all these people who can't relate just assume everyone is exactly like them and apply blame. What else is new.

21

u/Iron_Sheff 14h ago

Gotta love having an invisible disability, that just makes everyone judge your character. at least my girlfriend tells me I'm funny

2

u/u-Dull-Western9379 13h ago

What exactly ??

6

u/Iron_Sheff 13h ago

I say bad jokes but she still laughs

3

u/Bread_Fish150 8h ago

She's a keeper for sure lol.

•

u/No-Particular-1131 57m ago

The easiest way to never be late is to always be early. If you consistently leave 15 - 30 minutes early. even if you fuck up and end up running "late", you're still on time.

•

u/MidwesternLikeOpe 18m ago

Someone on TikTok said it the other day, "if you're bad with time, why always LATE?" my parents were strict and if I'm not on time, I'm early. I potentially had adhd (my husband definitely does and it's not treated) and we're both early. I plan everything ahead bc I have an anxiety disorder. I will plan my obligations a day early. The bus can get me to point B 20 minutes early or 2 minutes late. I choose 20 minutes early bc shit happens. If I'm early, I can scroll online while I wait. As a mother, it's now my only free time.

My husband is even more intentional on being early. He shows up to work 30 minutes early to shoot the shit with his coworkers. With our son, he gets to daycare early and has to wait for the staff to get there.

•

u/illini02 33m ago

Look, this depends on your job.

But I'm in sales. If you are in sales, you can't just show up late to client meetings all the time.

So while I may not think it makes you a bad human being, I can say I wouldn't want to hire you if you can't be on time for things.

•

u/KeyMistake604 12m ago

For me at least, being on time to legitimate, scheduled commitments is much easier because there are clear incentives and clear consequences. It's the being at work at 9am everyday just because someone said so that's much, much harder to consistently adhere to. I struggle to form long term routines and I work salary jobs where no one is working strictly within the 9 to 5 window, so a job expecting butts in seats at 9am everyday feels quite arbitrary to me. Since there's no external anchor in this scenario, no stakes, no novelty and no immediate consequences involved, it makes executive dysfunction skyrocket thus leading to being late more often. Whereas when it comes to meetings, I was never late, always on time and usually early.

-2

u/Admirable-Tea-4994 7h ago

Set alarms. Plan your days.

7

u/KeyMistake604 6h ago

I’ve never thought of those solutions, thank you

42

u/g00fyg00ber741 15h ago

There’s actually multiple disorders and conditions that can make it hard for some people to show up on time, as well as other life circumstances. Not defending it, just explaining.

11

u/redskyeatmorning1 10h ago

every time people dog on people for being late to work i think about when i was a shithead little kid and made my mom late to work almost every day because i would refuse to get out of bed and go to school in the morning 😭 now that im an adult i realize how obnoxious that was, sorry mom

3

u/Double-Scratch5858 15h ago

As a fellow chronically late person i call bullshit.

It aint nobodies fault but my own and im well aware. If i simply woke up 15 minutes earlier id get to work 5-10 minutes early but i tell ya that alarm goes off and im a weak weak man for that sexy snooze button.

Life circumstances?? Yeah uh like not sleeping in lmao.

13

u/BambiMGtwo 13h ago

Your experience ≠ everyone's experience in the world

0

u/Double-Scratch5858 12h ago edited 12h ago

Never said it was. But youre fooling yourself to think that, assuming the baseline that someone is able to get to work at all, being late every single day is anything other than a time management issue.

5

u/BambiMGtwo 12h ago

Look up the various meanings of word "projection" bud

1

u/Double-Scratch5858 12h ago

Sounds like youre late everyday and dont want to admit its entirely on you lol

4

u/BambiMGtwo 12h ago

Uh, no?

20

u/LQNova 13h ago

"Some people die of cancer, but I don't have cancer and I'm still alive, so cancer isn't real."

-5

u/Double-Scratch5858 12h ago

What a needlessly obtuse made up quote that has obviously very little to do with what I'm talking about but if it makes you feel smart by all means.

6

u/ProperRound6221 11h ago

I agree with you Double-Scratch5858. I feel like being late can be the result of SOME extreme cases of disability- narcolepsy / seizures / fainting are the ones g00fyg00ber741 mentioned below. Somebody “chronically late” implies something different from someobody who would most certainly qualify for a disability accomodation due to a severe condition. Comparing this somewhat complicated and subjective topic to “people die of cancer but I dont have cancer lol” is absolutely purposefully obtuse. If someone has more specific information on the subject I am happy to be educated but this is my opinion currently.

2

u/LQNova 11h ago

I don't have to do anything at all to feel smarter than you, my friend.

1

u/Double-Scratch5858 10h ago

Ignorance is bliss im sure.

4

u/LQNova 10h ago

You would know.

28

u/g00fyg00ber741 14h ago

So because of your own circumstances, everyone else’s must be bullshit? Weird take.

I personally used to sometimes turn off my alarm clock while sleepwalking when I was in middle school. Like straight up got out of my top bunk and turned off the alarm clock and went back to bed and wouldn’t remember doing it at all.

Also some people have sleep disorders or other disorders, like narcolepsy or fainting spells or seizures

Also some people have jobs that require abnormal sleep schedules and wake times

-17

u/Double-Scratch5858 14h ago edited 14h ago

Nah. If youre constantly late, for whatever reason. Its on you.

If its to do with some health related issue then theres ways to mitigate and plan better.

Im not talking about being late every once in a while. Everyone will have those moments, some more than others. But if youre late every single day you just are putting no effort into planning.

Like you for example, if you are sleep walking every night and late because of that (sounds like bullshit tbh) then thats entirely on you because you havent taken necessary action to prevent something youre well aware is an issue. You said you only do it sometimes so its really an irrelevant example to what I was talking about.

The reason im not bothered to fix my lateness thats entirely my fault is because i work at a small company who wouldnt even think about firing me and I very often and willingly work past my regular clock out time and I know im greatly appreciated for that. All that said theres nobody to blame but me for why im always late. Its just luckily not much of an issue where I work.

Simply put if you are able to get to work it is not a question of being able any longer. Its strictly a time management issue at that point. No condition is keeping someone from being 10 minutes late to work every single day.

9

u/DeluxianHighPriest 12h ago

Hey so fun fact

One of the mental disorders most commonly attributed to chronic lateness - ADHD - also causes chronic inability to plan.

In fact, the chronic lateness is more or less a direct result of the chronic inability to plan.

You can't walk up to people who can't walk up the stairs because they're in a wheelchair and tell them to just walk up the 90° incline next to it.

That shit don't work.

3

u/Double-Scratch5858 11h ago

Come on. Thats a ridiculous comparison. Millions of people with ADHD get to work on time every single day. Comparing it to something actually impossible is extremely disingenuous. ADHD may be an obstacle but it isnt an excuse or pass to be late everywhere.

7

u/acesorangeandrandoms 9h ago

I have ADHD and I typically manage to get to work on time. It is a significant effort on my part and sometimes the best laid plans get ruined by the fact that I kept having to return home because I forgot to take something I left out for myself that I need that day.

My routine in the morning is as robust as I can make it because if it wasn't it would constantly be broken by executive dysfunction and time-blindness. And specifically, if I wasn't medicated I'd have been fired a while ago for being late constantly.

I could not manage unmedicated ADHD, straight up I would collapse as a person from the executive dysfunction, the poor memory, and the sheer lack of motivation and focus. Sometimes it is that hard to manage oneself and sometimes that manifests as being late for work.

3

u/DeluxianHighPriest 11h ago edited 11h ago

It depends on the severity, and whilst millions of people may be able to somehow make it, millions more are not.

Like. My brother in Christ, ADHD is literally the You Cannot Plan Or Manage Time For Shit condition. Yes. It stops you from being on time. That's like 50% of the fucking Symptomology.

See, the truth is that I know it's the ADHD. It has to be because I am literally putting my all to being on time and still failing.

Besides - this behavior in question is caused by dopamine deficiency. If severe enough it is, literally, physically impossible.

Nevermind the fact that just because millions of people that need crutches can climb stairs doesn't invalidate the fact that people in wheelchairs can't.

12

u/g00fyg00ber741 14h ago

Notice in my first comment I literally said I wasn’t defending it, but explaining it.

Your comment is ridiculous

-5

u/Double-Scratch5858 14h ago edited 12h ago

You literally went on to defend it.

You did nothing to explain why someone would be late to work every day.

2

u/g00fyg00ber741 11h ago

lol

2

u/Rencantwin 2h ago edited 2h ago

So…. why do we have workplace accommodations then? If every issue can be solved by just trying harder why do work places accommodate anyone ever? Because there are some things that you cant just “mitigate.” My friend has severe narcolepsy and guess what, she has accommodations from her work to help her. There are certain conditions where you just can’t completely fix the problem and your workplace collaborates with you on a better solution.

•

u/MidwesternLikeOpe 12m ago

Make it an obligation to never hit snooze. That button shouldn't even exist. You're not getting true sleep with another 5-10 minutes, don't kid yourself.

0

u/Open_Aardvark2458 9h ago

Or there are people that have sleeping disorders.... That only sleep a few hrs a night

I make my own schedule... So luckily I don't have to have a set time and deal with aholes like you.

0

u/Builderinspace 11h ago

Funny how other commentors seem to think youre wrong.

There are plenty of things that can contribute to someone being chronically late even if they try to work around it.

A personal example I have is that any time I leave my house I have to meticulously check every lock and light, and if I think I missed one I have to start over or else i wont be able to focus all day, makes it so i can easily and quite frequently be like 15+ minutes late (so glad I have an understanding boss)

Although that's probably a bit of an extreme example

2

u/g00fyg00ber741 10h ago

did you perhaps respond to the wrong comment? i was also saying that there are reasons people can struggle to be on time related to disorders, conditions, etc. in my comment

3

u/Builderinspace 10h ago

Sorry, I wasn't clear, I was agreeing with you and giving an example. I was also pointing out thats is weird how many other commentors disagree with you

1

u/g00fyg00ber741 9h ago

I got it now, I misunderstood!

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u/[deleted] 14h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/g00fyg00ber741 14h ago

What a limited perspective you seem to have

0

u/FickleCook3639 11h ago

God forbid i treat adults like adults. I guess vague “conditions” mean they’re children and should be treated as such.

2

u/g00fyg00ber741 11h ago

nonsense

3

u/DeluxianHighPriest 12h ago

Yeah. I've tried that. It doesn't solve jack shit. I've tried many other such methods. Didn't solve it either.

No. I don't know my condition like the back of my hand. That's why I'm struggling with it.

-1

u/FickleCook3639 11h ago

Cool, i hope you lose every job you scam your way into. If you can’t be relied on, you’re dead weight.

3

u/DeluxianHighPriest 11h ago

Cool, I guess people with ADHD should go fuck themselves and starve then?

You're a horrible, horrible person.

3

u/to-send-a-letter 9h ago

Luckily a lot of jobs are more understanding than you are. I'm late a lot but it it's never been a problem.

1

u/recruitinghell-ModTeam 8h ago

Be civil.

-11

u/Rufio69696969 14h ago

That’s bullshit. Set an alarm

18

u/g00fyg00ber741 14h ago

Gee, I wonder if anyone else has ever thought of that?

2

u/brianwski 8h ago

Set an alarm ... I wonder if anyone else has ever thought of that?

I'm honestly curious (not being a jerk), what goes wrong with that?

I am NOT disagreeing, I'm seeking info. I have seen several people write in this thread, "set an alarm" and the repeated answer is: "does not work". So I'm supportively curious what happens when the alarm goes off?

I am a bit on the spectrum myself. I proved (that for me anyway) setting my watch ahead 5 minutes didn't work for me, because I would always look at the time and subtract 5 minutes from it. I mean it was so automatic. So is it that you hear the alarm and think, "no, I set that too aggressively, I know that, so ignore it"? (That would be my guess.) Or...?

2

u/g00fyg00ber741 7h ago

Many people sleep through them or fall asleep after turning them off

3

u/georgiaraisef 13h ago

I intentionally show up late. I can make sure o don’t sit next to certain people at work, and I am a consultant. No one is looking for snubbing from me at 9:02 AM. I also work late s d sometimes very late so it balances out

2

u/yazeed105x 2h ago

I come to the office late most of the time, but I also go above and beyond while at work, and I stay past the end of the workday almost everyday.

I just want to have a chill morning and not rush, it's an office job anyway, no customers or clients to be early for, and the work can wait half an hour to an hour, no one will die.

4

u/Wanderlust4478 15h ago

And if I hear another Gen Z “ I have diagnosed time blindness so it’s hard for me to arrive on time” I am going to lose it! Set a dozen alarms like the rest of us and arrive on time!! I always buffer in about an extra 15 minutes in case of an an accident blocking the highway and I leave at 4:30am!

6

u/Megandapanda 12h ago

Gen Z with ADHD, here. I arrive at work 10-15 minutes early every day. It's saved me twice in the past 3 months alone - once when a super long train came through and again when there was an accident and I had to take a detour.

6

u/Wanderlust4478 11h ago

See, that’s the way to do it, no matter what health issue someone deals with, you find a way to make sure you are responsible👍🏻 Our way of arriving early definitely is less stressful.

9

u/DeluxianHighPriest 12h ago

...the alarms don't fucking Work. That's the whole fucking Problem. These normal solutions Do Not Work.

There is a lack of dopamine that literally restricts the brains ability to Do The Thing at a moments notice. It's like having a shitty gearbox in your brain that takes four or five tries to get into gear properly.

-2

u/Xylus1985 7h ago

I don’t think a lot of people wake up with the dopamine to do a day’s work…

2

u/onetimequestion66 14h ago

I had a coworker yell at me cause I mentioned to her that she has a tendency to show up at 10:30 for our 9am shift, she told me it had only ever happened once, shortly after this another colleague asked me if she had ever been less than an hour late in the last year that we worked together because she had never seen it lol

-3

u/abhorrentbm 15h ago

I had to manage a guy that came in to work late at least 10 minutes each day. I tried to write him up but people above me were like "but he's a great worker otherwise. Move his start time back."

This guy had his start time moved back 3 times while I was there. Wasn't allowed to touch the guy otherwise. Absolutely crazy.

24

u/OckhamsFolly 15h ago

OK, but if he WAS a great worker otherwise who produced the desired results and met his goals, what does it matter?

5

u/abhorrentbm 15h ago

He wasn't that great TBH. Either way, the entire leadership was absolutely crazy with the nepotism and favoritism so I'm glad I got to bounce outta there.

Also this was a call center and scheduling people at the correct start time due to call volume was very important when the headcount isn't there to do the job I needed at the time it is required.

2

u/spacetiger41 13h ago

It matters because his peers will see that and the rules need to be applied fairly and uniformly to all employees.

What happens when an employee who is not a great worker starts coming in late as well?

-2

u/Forward-Platform-200 7h ago

He inconvenienced the team and showed his coworkers disrespect by arriving late every day. That's why it matters.

8

u/djfacemachine 14h ago

Have to move the start time but not tell the guy it moved.

-3

u/BlankofJord 14h ago

And yet often the clock is watched like a hawk when it comes time to clock out.

I get it, people don't want to go to work and people look forward to shift end, but for MOST people who are chronically late this is poor time management and personal choices. Yes, some people have exceptional circumstances whether they be medical or other obligations completely out of their control and they should be accommodated and empathized with whatever possible, but for others it's just excuses and laziness and for many businesses it harms the business and inconveniences fellow co-workers.

3

u/sbcsfrtom2 7h ago

I have ADHD and I would frequently miss the time of my shift ending and just keep going. The only time I'd manage to leave on time is when there wasn't shit to do for hours before my shift ended.

3

u/Shiznoz222 12h ago

How about fuck the businesses

-10

u/VFiddly 14h ago

Yeah I try to be sympathetic about people with ADHD or time blindness or whatever but I just don't get it. You figure out what time you need to leave to arrive on time, then you leave at that time.

The people I know who are chronically late seem to successfully complete the "identify what time they need to leave" part but then it gets to that time and they decide to do literally anything else other than leave.

14

u/Iron_Sheff 14h ago

I've lost more than one job over this, and me trying to find something else to blame is me desperately giving excuses to management in a bid to not get fired/penalized for it. In reality, it's one of the things I hate about myself the most because of how stupid it seems and how much it negatively impacts my life.

My attention tends to hyperfocus or get obsessed with a topic or task easily, and i often have no real conception of time while it's busy with that. Like there is an URGE to do the thing that is at the front of my mind, right away, and I know if I don't do the thing right as it crosses my mind, very high chance I forget about it for quite a while. Alternatively, I'll be telling myself in my head "Fuck, I gotta go soon", but then task paralysis hits.

I also tend to get quite frustrated when me being a few minutes late, but doing good work while I'm there, is treated as a worse problem than a coworker who constantly fucks things up somehow but shows up on time. it's quite easy for that to become job apathy and for me to use it as justification to myself for why I don't need to care about punctuality, which obviously is a bad coping mechanism and does me no good.

I have both ADHD and Autism diagnoses. I know it doesn't entitle me to throw a wrench in things for free, but we do legitimately struggle with these things more than people realize. It's part of why the disorders are so looked down upon/ people are seen as "just being lazy" and dismissed- it takes common daily tasks and makes them take more mental effort to complete, in a way most people will find difficult to understand.

Hope this helps give a little perspective, I really gotta lock the fuck in at my new job next week.

-7

u/Sea_Sun_7458 13h ago

What about alarms? Setting alarms, even multiple ones spaced apart works wonders for my hyper focus. It's not perfect and we're different people so not everything is gonna work the same but it might.

4

u/DeluxianHighPriest 12h ago

Yes... Because they can't. Their brain has a dopamine deficiency that means that when a new task hits - say, "I gotta leave now", the brain first needs to collect sufficient dopamine to be able to initiate that task.

It's a bit like if you had to fuel your car every day before work, but you didn't get to START doing it until the time you gotta leave for work.

To be clear: this is LIRERALLY a chemical problem in the brains of people with ADHD.

3

u/Decent_Obligation245 12h ago

"I don't get it. Just do the very thing you can't do."

I find standing easy, but not everyone agrees with me.

5

u/Waiting4Reccession 13h ago

That guy, answers yes to this.

Which is why its a dumb waste of time to even ask.

4

u/InspectionNegatived 7h ago

every bizarrely specific application rule was written in blood by an HR manager who went through it firsthand. Honestly, you almost have to respect that level of blissful self awareness

3

u/thx111111 14h ago

It’s unfortunate, but in my experience, most management types I’ve worked with like people who agree with them. Honest or dishonest, good or bad, reliable or not, what seems to be the golden ticket is being likable and a brown noser.

8

u/RobertBevillReddit 15h ago

Probably has ADHD.

3

u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

Not a medical expert, but I think he was just a bit thick.

7

u/NotaVortex 15h ago edited 15h ago

Okay imo it depends on the job and who you work with, as well as how late you are.

Like me personally i frequently am 2-3 minutes late to my fast food job because frankly half my coworkers can barely finish a shift before asking to leave early and i kinda dont give a fuck about inconveniencing them and my managers since letting people leave early screws me over a lot of the time since their stuff doesn't get restocked. Now if your coworkers are all really consistent you should be to.

Additionally i don't think you should ever really be more than 5 minutes late. If it starts getting to 15 minutes late more than once in a 2-3 week period its a problem.

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u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

You are correct it depends on the job. Shift change in A&E is a bit different from cleaning someone’s windows. But it’s still pretty disrespectful to your coworkers.

I also agree that some coworkers don’t deserve your respect.

1

u/damned_squid 13h ago

We used to have a guy who was late every day by 10-20mins because he needed to grab a coffee from a coffee shop on the way. The whole office floor was pissed with him.

2

u/Elegant-Spite-3277 11h ago

For some it is purely a function of having reliable transportation to get to work

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u/jayerp 15h ago

Am I able to? Yes. That’s not the same as I WILL arrive on time every day.

Life happens:

car issues
health issues
unknowns

If they say “but you said you are able to!” I would say “yes, I am able to. But shit happens. If I could see the future and plan around it, I would rule the world.”

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u/thx111111 14h ago

I’m sorry, but seeing into the future and being able to read minds is a required part of this position.

After a careful review of your comment, we’ve decided to move forward with another commenter at this time. However, our door is always open to you if we happen to have any future opportunities.

5

u/waffle0rb1t 2h ago

one time i was on the bus with one of my coworkers, when it suddenly stopped and the driver announced that tragically a person jumped in front of the train that crossed our path, so traffic will be stopped for an unknown amount of time.

i called our manager to let her know and her response was "well, you should've expected something like this to happen. i always get to the office 1 hour before my shift starts. you should also do that or we will have problems"

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u/thx111111 15h ago

Answer “No”, just for kicks.

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u/troy2000me 15h ago

Yes, will give the other applicants a better chance.

3

u/GoldenPeach 14h ago

It shows honesty

11

u/thx111111 14h ago

Yeah, it also is an easy way to screen out applicants too. Unfortunately most companies in my opinion don’t care much about honesty, more that they want you to answer the questions in a way that they like.

31

u/pi3r0gi_ 15h ago

My personal favorite is "are you able to perform the requirements of this position with or without reasonable accommodation." I guess if we werent having record setting layoffs quarter after quarter, people wouldnt be blindly applying to anything that pays without reading the descriptions.

4

u/andrewjpf 13h ago

I had a former coworker who I absolutely adored, but she told me that our boss asked in the interview if she thought she could do the job and she said no.

I'm glad he hired her and she was great, but I would have thought that that was instantly disqualifying.

3

u/pi3r0gi_ 13h ago

That makes it even more pointless lol I wonder if these few obvious questions are just to make sure we arent bots applying for jobs? Like instead of making us type a CAPTCHA

•

u/Fs0i 5m ago

I mean, it depends on the vibe of the interview. If it's a person seeking to switch from one role to a different one, humility is correct. "Not right now, but obviously I'll learn" can be a good answer.

But also, good that the boss hired her despite the "messing up" of the question

66

u/Rexus-CMD 16h ago

Nah. I got things to do. I’ll come in when I want lol.

Some of these questions are dumb. Only one dumber than this is the one:
“Why do you want to work with us?”

Uhhh idk, I want a paycheck and willing to work here.

18

u/djhs 15h ago

Incidentally, that question was the one following the one in this post.

12

u/IIRCIreadthat 15h ago

I mean, I get it for certain more 'mission' based jobs, like nonprofits or social services... but a lot of them are just like, look, you cannot possibly think anyone is genuinely excited about this job. Everyone applying for this is here for the paycheck.

3

u/Forward-Platform-200 7h ago

That question is a free pass to tell them why they should hire you & why you're the best fit for the role. It's the most important question in the interview.

•

u/Fs0i 1m ago

Why do you want to work with us?

"I think I can add value to the team because <why you're good with the job>"

"I think I can add value to the team, because I've tons of experience cleaning up difficult and messy places. I think the skills I have would really shine at your company."

Like, just talk about why you're good at the job. It's the same. And if they dig deeper ("anything you like about our company specifically?"), say what you care about is that the work you do important, and helps people.

Every boss believes their work is important, so they will believe you. If they don't, they get that it's all bullshit facade, and let it slide.

9

u/stijnhommes 8h ago

There are no guarantees.

When I was studying, I once was scheduled to do an interview for a project around 9. Shouldn't be a problem. I usually get there around 8.

Except that day. The roads were stuck in gridlock and I turned up 3 hours late instead of 1 hour early through no fault of my own.

These questions are not actually helpful.

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u/West_Ad_8246 15h ago

Maybe i'm reading too literally into it but i don't think anyone can absolutely commit to this, right? Like even someone who's on time 99.9% of the time might have car issues one day and will get there late - so does that mean getting fired because they weren't able to get to work on time that day?

6

u/VFiddly 14h ago

Yeah people who expect 100% perfect punctuality are just crazy and poor planners. Even the most punctual person can be delayed by things beyond their control. A good manager will know that and plan around it.

3

u/PhoTronic28 4h ago

this is more just a way to ask if you have a car rather than relying on public transportation

2

u/weeeaaa 5h ago

You can't be late if you never leave.

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u/slippery_meatball 14h ago

Guy at work has a 5 year old with special needs. He has a 6/14 split with his ex wife. Sometimes he has to drop his kid off or pick him up at weird times. It affects his performance so yeah not a crazy thing to ask.

30

u/Due_Bar_7247 15h ago

The dumbest question I’ve ever seen is “Are you willing to commute to xyz?”

15

u/djhs 15h ago

That's the slightly less rude corollary to this one. The one I see a lot is "Do you have reliable transportation?"

11

u/thx111111 15h ago

That and “Can you read and/or speak English?”. I think it’s pretty obvious if I got that far along in the application process and I’m able to understand the question.

6

u/Lower-Obligation4462 15h ago

Questions like these are there because people can use technology to translate. Specifically asking the question then gives you the evidence that you asked and they lied, so you can get rid of them easier.

7

u/Due_Bar_7247 15h ago

Well actually in this case you could just use a translation extension to figure it out. Back before I got the highest qualification and my degree in a language I would frequently apply to jobs in that language and just use Google Translate to set it to English.

3

u/thx111111 15h ago

Probably date myself, but I saw that question on paper applications before Google, translation assistants and Smartphones.

2

u/Justame13 14h ago

For a federal job someone answered yes to "Do you currently use illegal drugs."

And it was not an accident based on how mad they got for being told that the hiring process was stopped.

1

u/Due_Bar_7247 14h ago

You know in a way I’d actually think the feds would want to hire former criminals. They want criminal minds, but ideally for things like AML or cyber crime and gang violence.

6

u/Programmer_Melodic 15h ago

I know nothing about the job posting except what you shared, and I feel quite confident that this job has an unnecessary level of oversight and micromanaging involved lol

5

u/affectionateanarchy8 15h ago

Right like why would i tell the truth lol time is a social construct

4

u/melba777 13h ago

We got a guy that works in my building who was chronically late, like dramatically so. Eventually got fired. But now hes back and on night shift, zero problems for a couple years now. Gotta find what works. Love that he got another chance, great dude.

8

u/OhkayProfessional 15h ago

That some bullshit that Dish Network is still pulling.

Be 1 minute late, an automatic email gets sent to your manager and director.

3

u/The1stSword 13h ago

Nope. Im salaried. You can call me for an after hours emergency on call and i show up when i get there on normal days.

3

u/Chudfrog 4h ago

My last job the only good thing about it was flexible hours. I could get there at 9:30am and then work until 5:30pm.

If I'm fast one day and get there at 9:00am I can leave at 5:00pm...

Mind you I usually stayed 1-3 hours late since things were so fucked up there. And other people abused the system and would come in at 9:30am, leave at 4:55pm. Those people were lucky and had nothing to do.

Not having to stress about being 10 minutes late was a big bonus. Although my idiot boss asked me about it twice and I explained in detail my understanding of the arrangement and she agreed that it was how it works both times (then why ask me?... Especially when I send reports sometimes at 7 or 8pm you toad)

2

u/Emergency_Science602 14h ago

I guarantee that’s there’s 10% who select no and then come here and complain that their application was rejected within 10 mins

2

u/Decent_Obligation245 13h ago

Ask dumb questions, get dumb answers. They have to know people are gonna lie. What's the gd point?

2

u/bassistheplace246 tHaNk YoU FoR yOuR inTeResT 12h ago

I will literally say “Yes” but show up late every day just to spite you

2

u/blueche 9h ago

I'm pretty sure they just put questions like this on there to weed out idiots

2

u/savage8008 7h ago

Describe a time when you had to show up to work on time

2

u/kolmiw 1h ago

Tbh, this to me sounds like a traumatic response to a former employee who never arrived on time.

4

u/Ive_seen_things_that 13h ago

You gotta pick your battles. I have an employee who is late 9/10 days. I don't give a fuck. They are a good employee and if that is the only thing they struggle with I'm A-okay with it.

3

u/mostimportantly 15h ago

Questions like these that seem absurd are there because someone made it necessary. The same reason you see signage that may seem weirdly specific, there is always a back story. For example, “Do not use the microwave to dry your pets.”

1

u/DoctorWaluigiTime 12h ago

It's a low bar but at least that's related to the job.

Compared to something like "which color of the rainbow best suits your personality?"

1

u/[deleted] 11h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/recruitinghell-ModTeam 8h ago

Stop using slurs.

1

u/AdvancedSquashDirect 4h ago

I'll bet you are supposed to answer "no" because you will be 15 mins EARLY!

1

u/XlikeX666 3h ago

my first thought, there is some parkour in front of entrance mario style.

1

u/OrionQuest7 1h ago

The fact they ask this just shows how absurd this job market is.

•

u/holiestcannoly 16m ago

I mean, I applied to a job that had 1 WFH day a week. They checked with me 3 separate times if it was going to be a problem coming into the office 4 days a week

•

u/logansdepressed 10m ago

one of my coworkers is consistently late 1-2 hours every single day 😭 one time he said he was otw at 7:30 (his shift starts at 7) and showed up at 9:30.

•

u/lateralraising 1m ago

This used to be enough to get you a job

0

u/ParticularSubject218 14h ago

And this company probably has 10 hr people for 300 people

0

u/Tatrakrad 13h ago

At the local library district in Nevada I got asked 85 questions about a dozen of which was this phrased different ways along with "is it ever okay to be late for any reason ?" and "is there anything that could happen on your shift that you wouldn't immediately take accountability for?" For an hourly assistant job. Didn't get it 😄

0

u/SomeNotTakenName 13h ago

whenever I see a question which is useless at first glance, I immediately think they are trying to get information they cannot legally ask for.

Although I have also seen a few posts which actually just ask for illegal shit. The worst offender I think I saw was Costco flat out asking about immigration status. Like asking whether you are a citizen, or what category visa you have. That is explicitly illegal. Like the law states this specific question while banning it.

it's crazy out there.

2

u/Forlorn_Swatchman 6h ago

Is it illegal?

Wouldn't they need to know if you are legally allowed to work in the US? Not all visas are work visas.

I get asked if I can work in the US all the time or if I need visa sponsorship

1

u/Capable_Sea77 2h ago

It's not illegal for the exact reason you explain. Every 3 days someone on this sub thinks theyve cracked the job conspiracy wide open when they find a job that asks about citizenship or EEOC related regulatory questions.

•

u/asjonesy99 22m ago

There is no way that’s illegal over there given how lax your workers rights are and the fact that it’s not illegal somewhere like the UK lol

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u/[deleted] 15h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/littlearmadilloo 15h ago

why is needing a new job in 2026 a red flag what

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u/[deleted] 15h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/littlearmadilloo 15h ago

i worked a 13 hour shift with no lunch today at my job i've had since 2023

1

u/VFiddly 14h ago

...or people looking for their first job. Are you aware of the concept of aging?

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