clock watcher

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

clock′ watch′er, 

1. an employee who demonstrates lack of interest in a job by watching the time closely to be sure to stop work as soon as the workday or shift is over.
2. any person who watches the time closely, as in expectation of some news or event.
• 1885–90
clock′ watch′ing. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

clock-watcher noun

1. an employee who checks the time in anticipation of a break or of the end of the working day

clock-watching noun