English isn't my first language please forgive any mistakes. For context it is currently 12.11pm on Saturday in East Africa.
My (24) partner (25) works under sales at a bank in my area. It's a huge bank with many branches in different countries. This particular branch from Thursday the sales group has been doing fieldwork. Today was supposed to be the final day.
They were to meet at 7.30am but she got there at 7.45am. 5 more people were late as well but they were all there by 8am. The sales manager's boss (he's usually not around, he's in town temporarily for the same reason the fieldwork is happening) tells them as punishment they will receive a memo (which according to her is a really big deal) and tomorrow they have to come in and work the full hours.
Saturdays she works from 8am to 1pm but today all DSRs were told to work the full hours, from 8 to 5. Also everyone is alwaays off on Sundays. Every single person. The bank is closed on Sundays as well so only the 6 of them will be doing the fieldwork, let alone any work.
My father's advise is to do as told and then when the memo comes in she should say she already did her punishment. I think this advise is bullcrap for one, my father was a manager for close to a decade if not more before his brother and him bought the company from the owner. He also pays his employees pennies, literal pennies and fucking brags about it to me like if I'm supposed to be impressed or something. I digress. Because of those reasons and more, I think his advise is biased, wrong and unhelpful. That aside, I don't understand how working for 8 hours is appropriate punishment for being 15 minutes late especially considering she'll be written up and have to face her bosses to explain the lateness.
Am I entitled for thinking this is unfair? I'm genuinely asking because she called me exhausted wondering how she's supposed to work 7 days a week and go another 6 without any rest in between.
Is there anything she can do about this without risking her job? Quitting is simply not an option until she gets a different job.
I'm angry, confused and lost. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.