This is an old story, I think I'm posting in the the correct subreddit. Apologies if I'm not.
My first job was at a certain fast food joint with a redheaded freckled mascot.
Anyways, our regional supervisor(RS) was visiting one day, things are going normal. Then the power goes out. We're told to pack all perishable food into the freezer and go sit in the lobby. We're just sitting there waiting for the power when I see the RM whisper something to the on duty manager (M). M goes to the back of the store, and over everyone talking I hear the timeclock being used a bunch. It was one of the old paper punch ones.
I ask RS whats going on and she says “nothing”. I realize whats going on and ask “Are we being paid for this? ” she pretended not to hear me. I ask again, but louder so everyone hears. She's forced to say “No, because you're not working”.
I say “Well if I'm not being paid, I'm going home. “
“You can't leave, the power could come back on anytime. ”
“Or it could be out for hours and I'll sit at work and not get paid for it.”
She wasn't happy but me and a couple others went home. I lived about 20 minutes away, so it's 40 minutes round trip. As soon as I got home (this was before cell phones) my mom tells me work called.
I call back and RS picks up and tells me the power came back on 10 minutes after I left. I need to come back in. I explain it'll take me 20 minutes to get back, and my shift ends in like 35. I'm not driving back for 15 minutes of work.
“Well we need you back, there's a rush and now we're short handed”
“Sorry, guess you should have paid us to stick around”
I didn't go back in. Oddly enough she seemed to actually like me better after that.