‘I want him fired': Boss attempts to fire employee following employee's refusal to answer work calls on weekend, HR flips the script and orders boss to give employee company phone

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
May 23, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

Many companies expect their employees to be on the clock 24/7, and that can be at the expense of their personal time; it's no wonder so many employees feel bitter towards their boss. OP was working at a small factory where he had the managerial role of logistics and purchasing. Now, anyone who has had to deal with trucking brokers will know that the road isn't always exactly smooth. Sometimes it can get pretty bumpy, and that can result in a lot of phone calls for a manager. OP was receiving so many calls on his personal cell that he approached his boss and asked him for a company cell phone. His boss denied his request immediately, saying he didn't 'really need it'.

So OP decided to stop taking calls during the hours he wasn't working. In fact, he put his phone on mute and didn't answer a single call from the trucking companies or brokers all weekend. He fully expected to be fired, and his guess was more or less accurate. His boss called him into a conference call with HR the second Monday arrived, and he braced himself. His boss went on a raging rant, despite the fact that answering work calls on OP's personal phone wasn't in his contract. To his boss's surprise, HR took a different stance.

Scroll down to read what happened next. For more stories like this, here is a tenant who decided to get even with his landlord who refused to reimburse him for a boiler part after his house nearly 'froze'.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/pappie317 2 days ago You don't need a company phone OC M
    via u/pappie317
  • 02
    Font - I was reminded of this when I read another post about company phones. Some background, I worked at a smaller factory where I was the logistics and purchasing manager. The problem area was on the logistics side of things. Anyone who has had to deal with trucking brokers or companies understands that things
    via u/pappie317
  • 03
    Font - don't always work out as planned. So, it goes without saying that I would get calls pretty much 24/7(on my personal cell). So, I go to my boss and say since I'm basically on call 24/7 I should get a company phone. He said you don't really need a company phone since most of your calls came during normal business hours. Which
    via u/pappie317
  • 04
    Font - was true on the purchasing side but not on the truck side which I told him. So anyway, I left that meeting with the understanding that I was expected to take care of all business calls during normal hours. Well, here's the MC. Come Friday after all my trucks were set up for the weekend and it's time to go home. I put my
    via u/pappie317
  • 05
    Font - phone on mute and didn't answer a single call from trucking company's or brokers all weekend. I polish my resume in anticipation of my termination. Anyway, Monday morning rolls around and yep, first thing the boss calls me into a conference call with HR. I'm ready for the hammer to drop.
    via u/pappie317
  • 06
    Font - Boss asked me why pickups and drops were not on time or picked up at all. I said I didn't know because I didn't answer any calls from venders since it was outside normal business hours. HR asked has this happened often?
    via u/pappie317
  • 07
    Font - Boss say's not often but does from time to time. HR say's well what happened this weekend? Boss say's I'll let him explain it. I go through the whole company phone thing with HR.
    via u/pappie317
  • 08
    Font - HR say's so if we get you a phone this won't happen again. I say I can't guarantee loads won't get dropped but I can tell you that it'll never be this bad because I can work on solutions as they come up.
    via u/pappie317
  • 09
    Font - Instead of having to chase them on Monday morning. HR tells boss get him a phone.
    via u/pappie317
  • 10
    Font - Ambitious_Policy_936 2 days ago So what's the on-call rate they pay for this? Unless your salary and that's part of the contract. ↑ 250 Reply Share
    via u/Ambitious_Policy_936
  • 11
    Font - unknownpoltroon +2. 2 days ago Yeah. They chose to escalate this, not you. They're getting free 24/7 coverage 113 Reply Share
    via u/unknownpoltroon
  • 12
    Font - pappie317 OP 13 hr. ago › +2. Yes, I was salary but I was paid very well for what I did. That's why I wasn't worried about the money. ✩ Vote Reply Share
    via u/pappie317
  • 13
    Font - VOTE chaenorrhinum 2 days ago +3. So you're still stuck taking calls all weekend, just at a different number. What have you gained? 4730 730 Reply Share
    via u/chaenorrhinum
  • 14
    Font - +1 . 1 day ago Seriously. I was expecting them to get OT or payment for having to take calls on weekend. But, no? ↑ 319 LateralusOrbis Reply Share
    via u/LateralusOrbis
  • 15
    Font - +2 . 1 day ago . Lay-ZFair edited 1 day ago I agree with the other comments, if you're now on call on the weekends then you should be compensated accordingly and it should include extra for any actual work done.
    via u/Lay-ZFair
  • 16
    Font - The on call should be just the amount for carrying and answering the phone, the actual work should be higher compensation. But that's just my opinion. 4 90 Reply Share
    via u/Lay-ZFair
  • 17
    Font - trip6s6i6x +1 · 1 day ago I'm not sure if you've heard, but wage theft is a thing. And if they're not paying you for the overtime you're doing over the weekend, they're thefting the hell out of you there.
    via u/trip6s6i6x
  • 18
    Font - I'm cool with my employer and all, but I absolutely do not work for them for free out of the kindness of my heart. Reply Share 25
    via u/trip6s6i6x
  • 19
    Font - ElJamoquio +2. 2 days ago I like my job, and I take calls on the weekend, just like I'll go for bike rides during the workweek. I don't work any more or less, and both sides get a better deal. Reply Share ↑ 50 50
    via u/ElJamoquio
  • 20
    Font - daniu +3 • 2 days ago I do like my job, but that doesn't mean I'm taking calls on the weekend. 149 Reply Share
    via u/daniu
  • 21
    Font - Then Investigator_17 2 days ago Cmon yall this isn't antiwork. I'm sure some people actually like their job and employers I've never met them but I'm sure they're out there 153 Reply Share
    via u/Then_Investigator_17

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Tags

boss workplace-stories HR-meeting fired hr malicious compliance terrible-bosses malicious-compliance-reddit logistics company-cell-phone employees trucking-company purchasing-department
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