"First Time" Month continua!! First Time I write a Top-Ten List!!

Yup, as you read it. I don't remember ever doing this [a top ten list] before... it's freaky. I mean, I noticed this on the 23rd or something, and I though, well, there's few days left, so no more "first-time's" will pop-up, but they keep appearing... perhaps I should declare the next month the "I-met-a-really-hot-chick-who-likes-me-month" or the "I-won-an-Olympic-medal-month" (this one would be specially creepy since I'm so far in time, place, and SKILL from the Olympics)... or the "All-my-friends-became-rich-month"!

So, here's the top ten reasons why people really stay late at work (according to my own experience, which I consider as hard, cold facts. If you have real facts, or not, let us know!!)

01-They just don't have anywhere else to hangout: Let's face it, most of the time all that staying late is not out of love for the company, it's just the mere fact that no one is really waiting for you at home. It happened to me too, no kids, no wife, just mom and dad at home... I'm pretty sure their 22-year-old (at that time)son arriving home early was not THAT-GREAT-news. Also, all your friends are at theirs jobs, so you just stay at yours... mmmm... cellphones, people... just set up a meeting place, and get the hell out.

02-They are the "key employee" of the company: Yes, you have seen them. These people are all the time in like 5 offices at a time, and keep running "errands" for someone else (specially some mid-level boss, or the company owner). these people must be the descendants of those king "counselors" or something (no offense to people who really descend from someone who held that job). I mean, there was the phone, now email, and for crying out loud, a whole COMPANY helping the guy. Do we really need someone asking us to "remember to answer the mail" or "not to leave the bathroom light on"? Maybe if they fired those guys the company wouldn't need to worry so much about ONE BULB being on, and we could pay attention to the emails, instead of being distracted by these bufoons.

03-They are actually afraid of their boss: Well, I've seen this, yet I still don't get it. Once someone told me: it's because the boss CAN fire them. And I say, OK, but you CAN get a new job. If my boss is not going to kill me, then he/she/it can't scare me, I'm sorry. That's part of why I do fear God (and always write His Name with capital letters). Also, I shall always remember this lady in a former job telling me that her VP "will scream at you! and totally humilliate you!!!" if you were late. I never got to meet the jerk, but I so much wanted to. Man, XXI century, why does anybody put up with that?

04-They play online games: I've done it too. From 8-5, he's John Smith from accounting, but from 6-10 he's "Thor, the Thunder god from California!". Yeah, right, that's where the god of thunder comes from... (notice god in non-capital letter)...

05-They don't want to drive during the big traffic jams: Gas is getting expensive, you know? I'm just hopping some day EVERYONE will stay at work, and I'll drive freely at 5!

06-They are trying to meet hot singles online: Aahhh, the greatness of the net. That "hot babe on the other side of the screen doesn't need to know about my ugliness right away"... Yeah, Ok... and don't think I didn't notice. I'm not against it, but at least have the nerve to admit it in front of the boss; instead of lying and trying to make me look like a big slacker (I am a slacker, just not such a big one)

07-They just don't know what to do during work hours: Well, I did this one once or twice (or 20 times, I can't remember accurately...) People who face a really complicated problem during work hours sometimes just wait 'till everybody is going out and then start asking the questions they should have asked HOURS ago! There you are, working like a maniac to get out early, and then, at the end of the day, they say something like: Do you have a minute? OH! I would have loved to actually just give them a minute to solve the problem... (wait, I think I did it once... yay! for me) Then, after that, they'll try to compress a whole day of work into those 2-3 "extra hours".

08-To "puff-up" their job description (and, thus, their own): I hadn't noticed this one until recently. I mean, it's right there, but I hadn't put my finger on it. That's 'till one weekend I started talking to this friend and I tell her how I try to get out by 5 every day. She starts telling how she CAN'T do that because a lot of people depend on her job. (I immediately though: OOOOHHHH she studies medicine, or something where people can die if she fails!) Then she completely lost me. She starts explaining how the footprints she has to draw HAVE to be ON TIME, or else, the other guys will just stand there, and not complete a house or building... then I noticed: her job is not life or death, she just wants to think of it like that (then she is super VIP). That's why she can't get out of it early, because then the poor little construction workers will be standing around with nothing to do... God forbid!

09-Actually, they are big slackers: Hahaha, almost forgot it!! I can't believe it. This one is a HUUUUGE reason why many of the people who stay late do it. They're not big workers, they're BIG SLACKERS!! Again, experience from a former job. The people who usually complained the most about me leaving at 5 were the ones who arrived at 9, 9:30 (instead of 8, if you didn't know the entrance hour ;p). Also, put in a little effort and have lunch in only a half hour one of these days, sit at your workdesk, and check out who really comes back from lunch between 1-1:15 (if lunch starts at 12). You'll very likely notice that the big "stay-late-ers" are the ones always having 2-2 1/2 hour lunches. So, they put in some time to atone for their guilt. Well, those who feel guilty.

10-Simply put, they can't live with their spouse and children: Do I really need to explain this one?

I'm sure there's many more reasons, but I think these are the top 10.