Start-up CEO’s 'We Are Family' Mentality Pushes Employee To Enforce 9-To-5 Hours; Here's Why

Leywino said that she was encouraged to fully immerse herself in her role, which included the freedom to casually socialise with colleagues and participate in informal activities during work hours

A Reddit user shared in a post that she feels isolated at her workplace, which is a start-up, after shifting from a flexible work schedule to a traditional 9-to-5 routine. Her experience includes difficulties in adapting to informal workplace cultures in start-ups. Leywino, who joined the company eight months ago, was initially attracted by its "family-like" atmosphere.

The start-up CEO fostered a relaxed work environment, promoting flexibility and extended hours that often blurred the boundaries between work and personal life. Leywino said that she was encouraged to fully immerse herself in her role, which included the freedom to casually socialise with colleagues and participate in informal activities during work hours.

In her post, leywino described her initial excitement: “So, I joined this startup around 8 months ago, and since it was my first job, I didn’t know what I was walking into. The CEO was friendly and said, ‘We are like a family in here.’ There were no strict 9 to 5 hours; instead, we were expected to be fully invested and work overtime. In return, we had the freedom to joke around and even engage in NSFW discussions during work hours.”

After six months of adapting to the startup’s environment, leywino chose to implement a strict 9-to-5 schedule to create a clearer boundary between work and personal life. This shift left her feeling increasingly isolated as her colleagues continued to enjoy the flexible, informal culture. She wrote: “I went along with it for six months, but two months ago I decided to stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. Now, I feel alone and disconnected. Everyone else is still having fun, and I’m feeling mentally down. Any advice?”

The post generated a variety of responses from the Reddit community. One user criticised the company's approach, saying, “ou are not alone, you are the smart one, work for what you are paid for, and get out when it’s logout time. Expect people to raise concerns over this. Start saving money on the side for emergency because you never know what cards such startups can pull, if they don’t like your straightforward attitude.”

The user added: “If you have no options other than to stay in the company, you have to play by their rules, otherwise save up and prepare to move if things go wrong. These guys are making people feel like office is their life and you are working with friends (and not colleagues). Probably a bad idea because you won’t have a life outside office if you stick their routine.”

"Your well-being is important. So, setting work boundaries is good. The company should not have any issues as long as you complete your work on time. However, if the company doesn't respect that, consider looking for other opportunities where you feel that your work-life balance are respected," wrote a second user.