I used to believe that I should never leave work until my boss heads out for the night. And while I’m not telling you that it’s cool to leave your desk at 3 PM every day, I also think it’s fair to say that you don’t need to be the last person to take off just for the sake of being the last person to take off.
In the past, I’ve been so paranoid about leaving “too early” that I’ve walked up to supervisors and said, “Hey, is it OK if I head home now?” Even in the strictest work environments I’ve been in, my boss looked at me like I was a crazy person. After all, I’m an adult. So, as long as you’re not leaving anything urgent unfinished, you probably won’t lose brownie points for
However, if you’re truly concerned, you’re allowed to ask your manager about the team’s typical hours. While it’s highly unlikely everyone will be on the same schedule, you’ll get an idea of when it’s “OK” to come in and head out.
