59-Minute Rule

Refers to the practice of letting employees leave work an hour early. The term derives from the military, where supervisors are often not permitted to let their personnel leave early, but ARE permitted to grant their staff breaks, as long as they are less than 1 hour. On special occasions, a supervisor can work around the prohibition on early excusal by giving the staff a 59-minute break at the very end of the day; thus allowing them to leave about an hour early. The "59-Minute Rule" is often put into effect on the Friday before a three-day weekend.