Redditors Share Their Views On Showing Up Late For Work Or Just Staying At Home Instead
Some of these Redditors are speaking from experience, but the question is, what would you do?
Oversleeping can turn a normal workday into a mess fast, especially when the clock says you are already hours behind. For some people, the choice is simple, show up late and deal with it. For others, the better move is to call out, stay home, and avoid making the day worse.
That is the dilemma at the center of this Reddit thread, where people weighed in on whether it is better to arrive late for work or not show up at all after sleeping through the alarm. The answers depend on the job, the consequences, and how much trouble a person is already in with their boss.
The comments get blunt, funny, and surprisingly practical, and a few of them make the choice sound a lot more complicated than it first appears.
"Late = doghouse."
"No call, no show = fired guy."
"When I wake up on time, I still have this dilemma."
"My current job?
No, it’s hell, and it makes me miserable.
But in general, yeah, I would go."
"There’s this thing in Germany we call “gleitzeit.” It lets you come and go whenever you want between 7:00 and 20:00 as long as you fulfill your daily target time.
So you basically have 13 hours to get your 7-8 hours of work done."
"I’d still “go in.”
My job is home-based and salaried, though. As long as I work an hour, I get credit for a full day.
Back when I was bartending, I had the same answer. Being late in the service industry means putting your work onto someone else. Get there so whoever is covering for you can go home, or so everyone’s workload becomes more manageable."
"Yep.
I’m usually punctual, and my boss is not a huge pain in the ass.
Also, if I don’t go, the clients are more of a pain than my boss, and the next day I’d have to overwork myself to catch up on work."
"Yes.
I have flexible work hours, and as long as I fulfill my work duties within the month, I’m okay."
It’s the same boundary fight as the high-pressure tech startup worker trying to balance career growth with personal time, in Balancing Work and Personal Life: Navigating Boundaries in a High-Pressure Job.
"For my job?
I’d get an official warning if I was two hours late.
If I didn’t show up at all, I’d likely get fired."
"This is basically how I do it:
I wake up and realize I’m 2 hours late.
Am I hungover?
Yes: Call in sick.
No: Go in and bring donuts/biscuits/bagels for everyone to make up for it.
Am I sick?
Yes, but I don’t feel horrible: Work from home.
Yes, and I feel like death: Call in sick.
No: Go in and bring donuts/biscuits/bagels for everyone to make up for it.
Is the late commute going to be abysmal because of traffic incidents?
Yes: Work from home.
No: Go in and bring donuts/biscuits/bagels for everyone to make up for it.
Do I feel stressed from work lately?
Yes: Call in sick and take a mental health day.
No: Go in and bring donuts/biscuits/bagels for everyone to make up for it."
"I’d get a demerit, which my company takes very seriously.
Three demerits, and you’ll receive a citation.
Five citations, and you’re looking at a violation.
Four of those, and you’ll receive a verbal warning.
Keep it up, and you’ll receive a written warning.
Two of those will land you in a world of hurt in the form of a disciplinary review written up by Dwight and placed on the desk of his immediate superior."
"Better to show up late than never."
"Nope.
My job has a point-based attendance policy. Being late for less than 1 hour is half a point; over an hour is 1 point. Calling off is also 1 point. We can call off up to three hours into our shift. After three hours, it is considered a no call, no show, which is worth 3 points.
So no, it isn’t worth even going to work by their policy."
"No.
Flight would be canceled, and I’d probably be in big trouble."
"If you’re going to be late, be late enough to bring snacks."
"I’ve done both. The first time, I was honest, called as soon as I woke up, told my boss I overslept, and that I’d be going as soon as possible. Then a few months later, the same thing happened. It was a Monday morning; I called in sick and sat on my couch for the whole day doing absolutely nothing. It was glorious.
It also depends a lot on many different factors: what kind of job it is, how screwed your coworkers could be if you don’t show up (if you care about those things; in my case, it doesn’t affect them at all), how your company manages these situations, how many “strikes” you have already, and so on.
The bottom line, in my personal opinion, is that mental health is really important. So if you need one day off to recharge your batteries, I’d do it. If you’re not going just for the sake of it, that’s also valid, but be aware of the possible repercussions it may develop."
What do you think? Share your experiences on being late for work in the comments section.
Before you judge “no call, no show,” read what happened when someone locked dinner guests outside in the rain.
AITA for leaving my dinner party guests outside in the rain?
