GETTING MORE TALE #545: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere
Back in the Record Store Days, 5:00 pm was when the “day” shift ended and the “night” shift began. It was typical that the boss would call every day just before five to get the “five o’clock read”. He wanted to see what the stores’ sales were each day at 5:00. That tended to indicate if it would be a “good day” by the end of it or a “bad day”.
I discovered there was more to the daily 5:00 call than just sales.
The sly dual purpose was to make sure employees didn’t take off early. The bosses could have asked anybody to do a “five o’clock read” but they usually asked for the managers (except when they were mad at/not speaking to the managers). The cover was blown when the boss called Jonathan the accountant at five one day.
“I’m just calling to see how it is over there,” said the boss.
Jonathan was an accountant. It’s always the same over there.
He came out to tell me. “Man! Can you believe they were checking to make sure I was still here? They asked me ‘how it was going’ in the accounting office. The accounting office! You think it’s a coincidence he called right before five? He was checking on me.” He was pissed!
No early home time if you’re an accountant, or a store manager either! I was busted leaving a few minutes early one Friday. It didn’t matter that I showed up for work an hour and a half early. That five minutes at the end was all they wanted to talk about. I was given “the talk” and never once mentioned how the person giving me the talk was usually out well before five on a Friday.
Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!
mikeladano.com 
Pete wrote it best..”Meet The New Boss….Same As The Old Boss’
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That’s right mandingo! I’m sure most bosses have pulled this trick.
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I had a boss do the same thing back in the day – always to talk about something else of course, never overtly to make sure you’re still there!
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Did you find it somewhat insulting? Like, “Don’t give me the fluff, tell me why you’re really calling!” I find I don’t have patience anymore, I like to get right to the point.
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Most of those bosses calling at 5 were calling on their way home… after slinking away early themselves. I’ve known a few.
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The one I’m thinking of liked to spend every Friday in our Cambridge store — where one of her closest friends worked. Everybody knew it was obvious why she was there every Friday. Must have been fun working with your friend. And taking off early afterwards!
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Workers of the world, Arise!
Throw down the Oppressors!
Dislodge the Obstructors!
Eject the Employers!
Unseat the suspicious!
Rage, rage against the tyranny of The Man!
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I love the keep calm posters, there’s one for everything!
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Night Shift? At a CD store?
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5-9 was night shift. 10-5 was day shift.
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But who bought CDs at night? Crack-heads?
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Dude, night before Christmas Eve, a crack head came in with a garbage bag full just as we were closing. Needed her fix. We said no way — we have families to go home to and dinners to eat.
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Oh! And another detail. I was training a new girl Cori that night. Really great employee. But on like her third or fourth night I had to kick this crack head woman out of the store. I’m like “I don’t blame her if she quits asap.” But she didn’t!
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