we gotta get outta this place: pt. 2
Businesses like their workers to be productive. A key personnel issue for companies is worker productivity. So if the aforementioned worker was more productive coming in late and then staying late, whose business is it aside from the direct manager?

HR got involved and demanded that he arrive at 8:30 and leave at 5:00, but if he's not functional for the first hour and a half here, his productivity is low, and then at 4:30 his productivity wanes because he's watching the clock because, dammit, he's leaving right at 5:00.

The corporate response is that if they were lax about it towards everyone, people might start taking advantage of it. But that's what the direct managers are for. If they notice a decline in work product or work ethic, they should intervene.

But when HR acts as the fascist arm of the business and trumps the power of the direct manager, everyone's morale goes down because it's a shit place to work. poor morale = poor productivity. Do I speak the truth?