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Facebook's Sandberg: It's OK to leave work at 5:30

If you’re leaving the office at 5 p.m. to spend time with your family and feeling guilty about it, don’t worry -- you’re in very good company.Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg tells Makers.com, a website that profiles successful American women, that she is open and resolute about leaving work at a reasonable hour to spend time with her family, although she admits she used to worry about what
Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg is open and resolute about leaving work at a reasonable hour to spend time with her family.
Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg is open and resolute about leaving work at a reasonable hour to spend time with her family.Mike Segar / REUTERS / Today

If you’re leaving the office at 5 p.m. to spend time with your family and feeling guilty about it, don’t worry -- you’re in very good company.

Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg tells Makers.com, a website that profiles successful American women, that she is open and resolute about leaving work at a reasonable hour to spend time with her family, although she admits she used to worry about what others thought of her departure time.

“I walk out of this office every day at 5:30, so I’m home for dinner with my kids at 6,” she told Makers.com, adding that she’s only been brave enough to talk about it publicly over the last few years.

Sandberg said she used to want to show her coworkers she was working just as hard as them, by getting up early and making sure they saw her e-mails at 5:30 a.m. or late at night.

“I’m more confident where I am [now], and so I’m able to say ‘Hey, I am leaving work at 5:30,’” she said. “I hope that means other women, and men, importantly, feel comfortable going home to see their kids.”

Sandberg left Google to join Facebook as its chief operating officer in 2008. She has also served as an economist for the World Bank and as chief of staff at the U.S. Treasury Department.

She has a bit of work on her plate now, too, as she helps shepherd Facebook to an expected initial public offering in the next two months that could value the young company at more than $100 billion.

You can watch the full video here.