‘I got to the office at 8:01’: Woman shows up to work 1 MINUTE late. Her boss makes her use 2 HOURS of PTO

Ahh paid time off. A chance for you to take a step back, take a breather, maybe go on a vacation. It’s a right of passage that every employee looks forward to. And though it may not be legally required to allow it, the latest US Bureau of Labor numbers show that roughly 79% of private-sector employees had access to PTO in 2023. 

But sometimes, the topic can be a gray area. 

I mean, let's not forget when one employee thought she had “unlimited,” time-off after confusion after her PTO request was turned down for being too long. 

Posted on Aug.31, up-and-coming influencer Olivia (@cwon_kang02) turned to her platform to share her experience with the time-off benefit. Within just under a week, the now viral TikTok has gained over 21,600 views and 740 likes. In frustration, Olivia speaks to the camera from her driver's seat as she prepares to drive out of her office parking lot. 

“I was a minute late to work today, so I got to the office at 8:01.”

Olivia begins to tell the story. 

“So technically, that's my second time being late this month,” Olivia continues. 

Though Olivia did not go into further detail for the first time, its safe to say that most would consider 1 minute to be no more than a wrong press of an elevator button. But unluckily for her, at Olivia’s place of work, it can be make or break. 

“So I have to use 2 hour PTO,” she explains. 

In recoilment, Olivia decided that she didn’t want to spend the remaining 1 hour and 59 minutes at her desk. So, she left. 

“I’m not gonna stay in the office while I use PTO,” Olivia says. “So I'm gonna go get my car washed, maybe get some coffee, scream in my car for a bit, if I have some time left.” 

And just like that, Olivia went on to her morning of honey-dos, using her PTO, assumingly, not as pleased.

“Yeah,” she concluded in disappointment. 

So how rare is this interaction in the workplace? 

According to BrightHR, most companies allow for an allot grace period for employees to get situated for the day. That time frame can range anywhere between 5 to 7 minutes. But, of course, this is all up to the employer. 

Understandably, if a company's productivity begins to fall behind because of it, it is not uncommon for these employers to tighten-up their rules. 

For example, in one instance, a company tried to make its employees stay 10 minutes past closing for every minute they were late. And while this eventually backfired, it proves that not all bosses approach the scenario of being late the same. 

@cwon_kang02 good morninggggggg #corporatelife #fyp #vlog ♬ original sound - cwon????

So while it seems unfair that Olivia had to spend two hours of her paid time off unexpectedly for being just a minute late, there is no federal law monitoring it. Unless she is located in one of the specific states which require it, there’s not much she can do.  

The Daily Dot reached out to Olivia (@cwon_kang02) via TikTok direct message for comment. 

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