F18
I work at a deli, and we bake and put together things to display for customers and have a list of foods to prep for the next day.
Two days ago, all of that was finished. Before I came to work, everything was almost done and that just left another coworker and I with the final bake.
When we handled that, we cleaned and she left to go home. I still had two hours to figure out what to do. For an hour, I tried my best to help the employees in the store. We finished that, so all I had to do was sit and wait.
I could’ve waited, but I didn’t want to be seen as someone who was slacking off, so I clocked out, called my mom to pick me up, and went home.
The next day, my coworker asked me how was it and I told her I left early. Another coworker heard our conversation and asked me if I asked someone.
I did not. She told me that I could get in trouble for that and told be about their point system.
The coworker in the beginning told me not to tell anyone, but my mom is telling me to be honest up front before they find out themselves. I think I’ll listen to my mom’s advice, but I have social anxiety and I’m so scared of talking to people about this.
You could say that they don’t care since it’s been two days, but I did it during the weekends when they aren’t here. So they could find out today.
TL;DR: I left an hour early
Comments
This is an opportunity to learn an important lesson about framing. Present yourself as the ideal employee.
Say that you wanted to give them a heads up that you clocked out an hour early last time. The work went faster than usual, and after you finished your section, you helped out in the other sections. You thought about what the best thing to do would be, and since everything was taken care of, you figured you’d save the owner some money and just clock out.
Then say: Your mom told you that your heart was in the right place but that in the future you should ask first, so that your intentions wouldn’t be misunderstood.
Your mom is right. Be proactive.
Explain you didn’t feel right getting paid without work to do but you realize that might not have been the right decision. a
Ask the manager for advice on what they recommend for similar situations in the future.
You will be best off being open and honest. It shows you are trustworthy and willing to learn from your mistakes. You’ll also feel better about it.