My lead told me that I have to tell my 2 coworkers “bye” or “good night” before I leave. Is this harassment?

[Hunt0000]

I work 2nd shift at a hospital. I get off at 11pm. There are two other people in the dept, they leave two hours after me. Usually when I leave for the night, I just leave. I don’t go and say bye to the other 2 coworkers. They know I leave at 11pm.

My lead leaves at 7pm, before I do. She really has no idea if I say bye for the night. Today my lead told me to say bye to my 2 coworkers. These 2 coworkers sit on the other side like a cubicle over to the left of me so not that far from where I’m at. I know they probably told the lead something that I just leave with no good byes. I know it was them. 

On the weekends I have 2 other coworkers who sit next to me, so when I leave the coworker who sits next to me knows I’m leaving because I’m putting on my jacket and getting my purse out and he says bye.

My lead told me that I need to inform people (specifically) the two coworkers who sit on the other side and tell them bye-they need to know in case theres an “emergency” they need to know my whereabouts. She didn’t say it was “those 2” but when I first starting working there-the coworker told me that she “didnt know that I left” well they don’t see me sitting at my desk…. That means I left.

When I worked day shift and I left at 3pm at my previous jobs i never had to tell a coworker bye, unless someone was saying it to me.

Now I’m thinking what those 2 coworkers said to the lead. That I don’t say bye? Or that they don’t know that I left? Seems silly. There are days when people have to work alone like if 2 other people are out on PTO or call in, 1 person has to work the evening shift solo, so does that mean that person has to call the lead at 11pm to tell them they are leaving at 11pm? I doubt it.

Did I offend the 2 coworkers because I don’t say good night? Also, if they had a problem with me not saying bye-they could have just said something to me personally instead of telling a lead. I would rather hear it from a coworker than a lead.

Also makes me wonder what other complaints they have against me. To add I’ve only been at this job for 2 months, and the dept -the lead and those 2 coworkers like to gossip and I’ve heard them talk crap about other people. I keep my personal life private-like a few weeks ago they they were quietly discussing how old they think I was and if I had kids

Edited December 31, 2025 by Hunt0000