My manager keeps assigning me urgent work at 4:55 PM. Am I being unreasonable for pushing back?
I've been at my company for about a year. Overall I like the job, the pay is decent, and my manager has always been friendly. The problem is that almost every week, usually on Thursdays or Fridays, I'll get a Teams message around 4:55 PM asking me to finish something "before tomorrow morning."
These aren't five-minute tasks. They often take one to three hours and usually require checking data from several departments. My official work hours end at 5:00 PM, and I have about a 45-minute commute home. I also have evening responsibilities that make staying late difficult.
The first few times I stayed because I wanted to make a good impression. But now it has become an expectation. If I say I'll do it first thing the next morning, my manager responds with things like, "I was hoping to have this tonight," or, "It would really help if you could knock this out before you leave."
What's confusing is that these assignments don't seem to be true emergencies. Sometimes they're reports that won't even be reviewed until the following afternoon. It feels more like poor planning than an actual business need.
Last week I finally said that I couldn't stay and would complete it first thing in the morning. My manager wasn't rude, but they seemed disappointed and have been noticeably cooler toward me since then.
Am I being unreasonable for expecting work assigned five minutes before the end of the day to wait until the next morning, unless it's a genuine emergency? Or is this just something employees are expected to accept if they want to be seen as team players?
I'd appreciate hearing from managers or people who've dealt with something similar.
Posted Aug 1, 2026, 3:47 AM UTC