A viral Threads post about a Gen Z employee being questioned for leaving work at 5pm sharp has sparked discussions among Malaysians, with many millennials saying they also refuse to stay back unnecessarily.
Shared by @abdul_adzim, the post recounts an employee’s alleged exchange with a boss who questioned their commitment to the company.
However, it remains unclear whether the conversation was based on a real incident or a fictional scenario.
According to the story, the employee had already tidied their desk, shut down their laptop and picked up their bag at 4.59pm.
When the boss walked past and asked why they always left exactly at 5pm instead of staying longer to help the company grow, the employee responded with a pointed remark.
“I do, boss. That’s why I come in at exactly 8am,” they replied.
The boss was reportedly unimpressed and pointed out that they used to work until 7pm.
The employee then delivered another comeback: “No wonder you still look tired now.”
The exchange allegedly left the entire office silent.
The story continued with the boss asking whether the employee knew who paid their salary.
“I know, boss. The company. It’s not coming out of your own pocket, right?” the employee reportedly answered.
The following morning, the employee was called into the boss’s office, leaving colleagues supposedly expecting a dismissal.
Instead, the boss handed them an envelope, although the post did not reveal what was inside.
The story ended by asking readers whether they leave work on time or wait until their bosses head home first.
In the comments, several Malaysians said leaving at the end of their working hours was not exclusive to Gen Z, with millennials sharing similar experiences.
One millennial said they always left at 5pm sharp, pointing out that there would always be more work waiting to be done.
Another recalled initially feeling nervous about leaving on time until senior colleagues encouraged them to go home.
“My seniors would say, ‘Go home, go home!’ So I’d just pick up my bag. Why would the boss make a fuss when the offer letter says 8am to 5pm?” the commenter wrote.
One user also claimed that their boss had once threatened to deduct their salary for leaving work on time.
They said they challenged the boss to explain the legal basis for the deduction, after which the boss allegedly had no answer.
Others, meanwhile, shared that their managers actively encouraged staff to leave once their working hours were over.
One commenter said their millennial boss would start ushering everyone out at 5.20pm, even though the boss usually left at 5.30pm.
“Don’t you all want to go home? Do you know what time it is?” the boss would reportedly ask.
Another user, who identified themselves as a millennial boss, said they encouraged employees to leave on time unless an unavoidable programme caused delays.
A self-described millennial HR employee also said they disliked seeing staff staying back unnecessarily and would tell them to head home.
Their reason was simple: to save electricity.
