Work Until Eight Is Your Fate

(We have been working a special project for six weeks; most of us have been working from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every day, but have been asked to go to 8:00 pm on certain days. I have gone the longest without a break. I am working in one section, and my boss is working on the other side of a short wall. I see a coworker walking by. This particular woman has proved to be very lazy. She’s carrying her bag. She’s been only with us for about three weeks.)

Boss: “[Coworker], where are you going?”

Coworker: “I’m going home; it’s six.”

Boss: “But everyone agreed to work until eight tonight.”

Coworker: “I’m too tired to work until eight; it’s not fair to make me work.”

Boss: “Everyone’s tired, and we have to get this project done.”

Coworker: “Well, I haven’t had a break for days.”

Boss: “You had the weekend off. There’s people here who haven’t had a day off in five weeks.”

Coworker: “Well, if you are just going to make me stay until eight, I’m going to be much too tired to come in tomorrow.”

Boss: “You’re going to be too tired to come in tomorrow?”

Coworker: “Yes, I will be. What do you think of that?”

Boss: “If that’s the case, you can go home now, then.”

Coworker: *smugly* “Okay, bye.” *starts leaving*

Boss: “And you can have tomorrow off, too. In fact, how about you don’t come back at all?

Coworker: “What? You can’t do that!”

Boss: “Yes, I can, and I have. Make sure you don’t leave anything of yours here, because you are no longer welcome here.”