A Dutch worker’s write-up is proof American workdays are broken

A Dutch employee working for an American company went viral after pushing back against a New York–based manager who nearly wrote them up for logging off at exactly 5:00 PM. According to Daily Dot, the now-deleted story, shared on Reddit by u/Dutch_Reality_Check, struck a nerve by highlighting the sharp contrast between U.S. work expectations and European labor norms.

The employee said their manager expressed “concern” about their commitment after noticing their Slack status consistently went offline just after 5:00 PM. The manager also took issue with the worker not responding to a Saturday morning email until Monday and declining a “team bonding” Zoom call scheduled for 7:00 PM local time in the Netherlands.

These expectations echo a broader U.S. workplace culture that increasingly normalizes being “always on,” whether through after-hours messaging or office perks like nicotine pouches vending machines meant to keep employees engaged beyond the workday. All of this stemmed from expectations aligned with New York hours rather than local labor laws or the employee’s actual contract.

This kind of conflict feels normal in the U.S. but absurd elsewhere

The worker responded by giving their manager what they described as a firm reality check. They explained their contract was for 40 hours a week and did not include nights or weekends, adding that working beyond that was neither required nor expected under Dutch labor standards.

When the manager continued to push back and threatened a Performance Improvement Plan, the employee escalated the issue to HR. According to the post, the HR representative laughed when reading the complaint and told the worker to ignore the threat. She also said she would speak directly with the manager about local labor laws.

After HR intervened, the issue stopped entirely. The employee reported they have not received any messages from that manager after 5:00 PM since.

The story resonated widely online, with commenters sharing similar experiences in American workplaces. Many pointed out how leaving on time is often treated as a lack of dedication rather than a sign of efficiency. Others noted that managers frequently prioritize hours logged over actual results.

The Dutch worker summed up the cultural divide bluntly, saying they feel bad for Americans who feel pressured to apologize for having lives outside of work. The reaction underscores a growing frustration with U.S. work culture and a desire for clearer boundaries that reflect what a 40-hour workweek is supposed to mean.

The situation quickly became an example of how American hustle culture can clash with international teams, especially as U.S. workers are already overwhelmed by nonstop corporate pressure, constant app notifications, and even surprise tech settlements like Google Play’s automatic refunds to millions of users.