A new hire at one of the largest companies in the United States turned to Reddit recently to share their surprise: they were seeing coworkers send Slack messages and emails as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m.
The post sparked a huge conversation about whether this “always on” culture is normal in corporate America , and what it really means.
Performative Productivity
Many commenters explained that what looks like constant work is often just optics.
Several people admitted to using scheduled emails so messages appear to go out early in the morning or late at night.
Others said employees sometimes log in briefly before breakfast or after dinner just to “look busy” even if they aren’t doing a full day’s work outside regular hours.
One person wrote, “People often schedule messages to be delivered at a predetermined time to make it look like they are working.”
In other words, a lot of this communication is more about being seen than being productive.
Flexible Hours
Another common theme was flexibility. Parents and caregivers often spread their hours across the day, logging in before school drop-offs and again after bedtime.
What seems like a 16-hour workday may actually be the standard eight hours stretched over a longer period.
For global companies, time zone differences also explain why messages land at unconventional times.
Some workers also prefer early mornings or late evenings because those are the quietest times to focus.
“Some start early at 6 or 7 because they’re early birds. They’re the first to leave for the day, usually by 4. Sometimes I do work later just because I get way more done when I’m not constantly interrupted,” one person wrote.
Industry and Cultural Differences
Plenty of people said this culture depends on the company and the industry.
In fields like consulting, finance, and tech, long or irregular hours are often expected. In other industries, being constantly online is seen as unnecessary or even inefficient.
People also highlighted cultural contrasts. One summed it up by saying, “America definitely has a workaholic problem. I’d say it’s only second to Japan.”
Others pointed out that in European workplaces, it’s common to have shorter hours and generous vacation, with fewer expectations of constant availability.
Setting Boundaries
While some employees feel pressure to mimic these habits, many commenters stressed that it isn’t required. Instead, they encouraged the original poster to protect their own boundaries and focus on results.
“You pay me for 40 hours a week, you get me 40 hours a week. No more, no less,” one person wrote.
Some managers even weighed in, saying they start early themselves but do not expect their teams to follow.
A few suggested clarifying expectations with a boss or adding an email signature that notes off-hours messages don’t require immediate responses.
The Takeaway
Most people in the thread agreed this kind of behavior is more about appearances than real output.
Yes, some folks are truly working long hours. But a lot are just spreading their work across the day or trying to look like they’re going above and beyond.
For anyone just starting out, the message was clear: do your job well, stick to your own hours, and don’t let the pressure to look busy wear you down.
As one person put it, “Working extra hours doesn’t always make you look good. Unless there’s a bonus, stick to your work hours. Everyone is replaceable, and those people working their tails off will find out soon enough.”