Entrepreneurship October 6, 2025 0 Comments

Is Leaving Work at 5 PM a Myth? The Viral TikTok Shattering Your 9-to-5 Reality Revealed!

Ever caught yourself watching the clock like a hawk, wondering if the minute hand hitting 5 p.m. is the green light to bolt, or just a polite suggestion to linger a bit longer? You’re not alone. A viral TikTok—with over 20 million eyeballs glued—just threw this very question into the spotlight, sparking a wildfire debate about workplace exit etiquette. Is the workday’s end a firm “leave now” bell, or merely a courteous nod before the real grind fades out? The clip’s playful tug-of-war between a Gen Z employee and a suit-wearing boss captures the absurd tension we all feel in those last, lingering office moments. But beyond laughs, it digs into a deeper shift: how remote work has blurred the sharp edges of the classic 9-to-5 grind. So, when do you really clock out without the guilt or the side-eye? This discussion isn’t just about timing—it’s about redefining work-life balance in a world that’s changed the rules without handing out a new playbook. LEARN MORE

A new video has workers asking when the right time is to leave the office.

Key Takeaways

When should you leave work if holding a salaried, 9-to-5 job?
A viral TikTok, with more than 20 million views, is sparking debate online.
Years of remote work have blurred the 9-to-5 timeline.

If your workday ends at 5 p.m., are you out the door right when the clock strikes five?

A viral TikTok has reignited the debate about leaving-the-office etiquette. In the scripted clip, which has more than 20 million views so far, a seemingly Gen Z employee walks into a company leader’s office (as evidenced by having an office to begin with — and he’s wearing a suit with his feet up on the desk) and says she’s heading out for the day.

The boss then says, sarcastically, “Wow, five o’clock, right on the dot, I just love your work-life balance.”

She responds: “The workday ends at five.” The boss then says, “We stop working at five, that’s not when we go home.”

@therealsamgeller SATIRE: TikTok, help us decide! #work #worklife #officelife #officehumor ♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer

So which is it? Is 5 p.m. when you start packing up? Or is 5 p.m. when you are walking out the door?

Most of the comments on the clip were adamant that leaving at five on the dot is the acceptable way to go.

“You get paid to 5, you leave at 5,” one comment said.

“5:01 I’m nowhere near the building,” read another.

Some questioned whether you even need to tell your boss that you are leaving in the first place.

But it might not be that simple.

Years of remote work have blurred the 9-to-5 line and upended what healthy work-life boundaries look like in the workplace.

For example, in 2024, recruiting agency Randstad’s yearly survey of 26,000 workers found for the first time ever that work-life balance was a bigger motivator for employees than a high salary, per Fast Company.

Key Takeaways

When should you leave work if holding a salaried, 9-to-5 job?
A viral TikTok, with more than 20 million views, is sparking debate online.
Years of remote work have blurred the 9-to-5 timeline.

If your workday ends at 5 p.m., are you out the door right when the clock strikes five?

A viral TikTok has reignited the debate about leaving-the-office etiquette. In the scripted clip, which has more than 20 million views so far, a seemingly Gen Z employee walks into a company leader’s office (as evidenced by having an office to begin with — and he’s wearing a suit with his feet up on the desk) and says she’s heading out for the day.

The boss then says, sarcastically, “Wow, five o’clock, right on the dot, I just love your work-life balance.”

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