"I Left on the Dot While My Team Leader Was Tearful"... A New Hire Who Greeted Everyone 'Cheerfully' on the Way Out: Am I a Psychopath? [What Do You Think?]

[Financial News] A story about a new employee who left work on time after finishing all assigned tasks, even as the team faced a crisis right before a deadline, has sparked heated debate online.

On the 24th, a post titled, 'My team leader was on the verge of tears, but I left on the dot. Am I really a psychopath?' was uploaded to an online community.
The writer, identified as A, said they were six months into the job and had always completed their assigned workload on time thanks to strong concentration. Even as the department was working late every day ahead of a major project deadline, A continued to leave at 6 p.m. after submitting all requested revisions and tasks before the cutoff.
The conflict erupted on a day when tensions in the team had reached an extreme level after friction with a client. Around 5:50 p.m., the team leader was so upset while speaking on the phone with the client that they were nearly in tears, and the senior colleague was also visibly flustered. When 6 p.m., the usual quitting time, arrived, A packed up as usual and cheerfully said, "Team leader, I'm heading out now! See you tomorrow!" before leaving the office.
Afterward, A received a message from the team leader saying, "I know you finished all your work, but it hurts to see you leave so casually when the whole team is going through a hard time. Working in society is not just about finishing your own tasks." Fellow employees also reacted coldly, telling A that they should have at least read the room.
A said, "I followed the working hours written in my contract and finished everything I was responsible for, so I don't understand why I should be the target of hurt feelings." A added, "I feel bad that the team leader is having a hard time, but I don't think I have an obligation to sacrifice my personal time."

As the story spread, opinions among netizens split sharply over the new employee's attitude and workplace culture.
Those who said A's behavior was thoughtless argued, "Regardless of whether the work was finished, leaving cheerfully when the team is in crisis shows a lack of awareness and camaraderie," "Even if you don't stay late, saying something like 'Is there anything I can help with?' is the bare minimum of social awareness," and "Workplace life is not just about mechanically getting tasks done," criticizing A for lacking empathy.
On the other hand, those defending the writer emphasized legal working hours, saying, "It is a legitimate right to finish your responsibilities and leave on time," "A culture where people stay just because of the atmosphere, even when there is nothing to do, is the kind of entrenched practice that should be fixed," and "It is inappropriate to shift the team leader's emotional burden onto a new employee."
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter