you sound like someone who would come in to a retail store 5 minutes before closing, take their time shopping, make the cashier ring up $300 worth of merchandise, and then have their card be declined. It's not about having to stay later after one's shift, or dealing with the above situation. I would imagine you would like to go home after working an 8 hour shift and wouldn't be happy at the inconsideration shown to you by this customer. Also, after a certain point, there is a security issue. If a store closes at a certain, there is a reason for it.

There's almost 0 chance of her getting paid overtime. Overtime only counts if it was preapproved and scheduled. Its possible that because of the inconsiderate customer staying so long after closing that OP ended up working for free.

Nowhere in the FML (or the subsequent follow up) does it say OP is being paid to be there. Often times employees are REQUIRED to clock out if they go over their allotted shift to avoid paying them overtime. In addition to that, most times you're standing the entire shift AND you have to deal with difficult customers all shift long to top it all off your closing prep work has been ruined AND you missed your ride home. I would definitely agree with OP here.

If, as an hourly paid employee, you have to get clocked out and you are still working or you don't get paid for the time you worked, that's illegal. If OP is salaried, then they are considered exempt or nonexempt. OP got paid for the time spent working, but I'm willing to bet it was either minimum wage or a little above it. Also, OT gets paid when you go over 40 hours for the week, not over your scheduled time. I could work a 10 hour shift and get paid my regular rate but once I go over 40 hours for the week, its time and a half. Also, this is dependent on if OP is in an union or not, I'm going off of Vermont state and US federal laws.

certain time* -edit for comment #67

#70 i've never had overtime preapproved or scheduled. when it happens, its generally an accident & isnt something that my employer wants to happen. #79 im not part of a union or anything, but when i went over 38 hours (thats our limit), i automatically got paid overtime. and thats in Australia.

Sometimes, the extra $8 or whatever you get paid to stay does not make up for the cost of the time you lost. What if OP had plans? Or children she wanted to see before bed? After an 8 hour shift, an hour of relaxing before bed is worth more to me than my hourly rate.

so a few dollars (possibly) on her paycheck somehow is supposed to magically make up for missing possibly the last bus of the night (costing more money I.e. cab or gas for a friend's car) plus a babysitter fee if op has kids and in some states not picking your kids from daycare or babysitter at time agreed upon is legally negligence...yeah...she has no right to complain that some shopaholic royally screwed her night up.

So only people that have 'worked retail' are allowed to have an opinion contrary to yours? I voted FYL, but completely disagree with your logic.

In general yes you can understand how bad it can suck but people who have worked and still are working retail know how bad it really gets.

Calm the hell down. I wasn't trying to outdo them, the only one here be childish is you, for getting so defensive over a comment about similar relations. So stfu.

I wasn't making it a competition, the only one being childish is you for getting so offended over a comment, THAT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU, over having similar relations

You did make it a pissing contest the moment you said, "That's nothing." trivializing OP's experience.