'When I say I'm not available, I mean it': Employee berated by boss after being scheduled outside his available hours

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 23, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

This manager has some audacity for placing blame on their employee! It should not be the employee's responsibility to ensure that their hours of availability are honored, especially when these were agreed-upon hours when the employee was first hired. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit by u/jeffyjeffs, who shared a text exchange with his manager after they left an unnecessary voicemail asking why the employee didn't show up for work. 

It turns out there was a last-minute scheduling change that wasn't cleared with the employee. That would be problematic even if the change occurred during the employee's available hours. But this is even worse. The fact that his hours of availability weren't even considered at all when this change was made says everything about how much this manager values the employee's time. 

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best comments. For more, check out these top petty stories from last week!

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  • 01
    Font - r/mildlyinfuriating. Posted by u/jeffyjeffs 9 hours ago Woke up on my day off to a voicemail asking why I wasn't at work. Apparently someone changed my schedule without my knowledge and that's my fault??
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 02
    Font - K 12:30 PM I have absolutely no idea why I'm scheduled today. I was never informed of a schedule change or even had it discussed with me and I'm not able to come in on Tuesdays regardless. 1:42 PM 12:30 PM • Ⓒ It's your response to check the schedule every week, and It's a no call, no-show. Cuz you never call the store. This is out of my availability. I cannot come in on Tuesdays. I've discussed this before when I was hired. It shouldnt be my responsibility to make sure they follow that,
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 03
    Font - happyfuckincakeday +3. 9 hr. ago Look at you setting and sticking to healthy boundaries. Great job. Hope you're not fired. 7.4k Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 04
    Rectangle - ARPG_RustyGaming +1.5 hr. ago Its not cause to be fired and if they do he can claim unemployment as its clearly a managers up. 1.6k Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 05
    Rectangle - Okayish_Elderberry. 9 hr. ago ...so you're supposed to randomly call the store to make sure your days of are still off? Cool stuff. 3.1k Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 06
    Font - cortexstack GREEN W 9 hr. ago edited 9 hr. ago . This reminds me of a bar I used to work at. I was walking past it across the street at 4pm on my day off looking to do some shopping, and my manager was over the road unlocking the door to start her shift. She saw me so I waved and she shouted over the traffic and asked why I wasn't coming in. I crossed the road and told her it's my day off and I'm off to some retail therapy. According to her, though, I was on the rota to work that day. I s
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 07
    Font - But why would I look at it again? I'd seen it and taken note of when I was working. If they needed me on the early shift on Monday then surely they would have told me. Apparently not. I told her that she should tell the people involved when she changes an already-posted rota, because people use that to plan their lives outside of work. But apparently no, that's not her responsibility.
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 08
    Font - I went inside and did my shift (I was young and stupid) and left at around 10pm. Fifteen minutes later I called the phone at the end of the bar and made her come up from the basement to speak to me to make sure no changes had been made in my absence. She confirmed that they had not. Then fifteen minutes I called again. Then again quarter of an hour after that. Then again. She told me that she gets my point and that I could stop calling now. I told her that I really didn't want to get caug
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 09
    Font - Tar-Nuine 7 hr. ago This reminds me of a Malicious Compliance. Employee gets angry calls on day off from inept manager, demanding to know where he is. The manager tells the employee it's their responsibility to check with managers about scheduling "Incase" last minute changes have been made without their knowledge. Cue 2 weeks of early morning calls before their shift starts like "Hi boss, sorry for calling so early, i'm just checking, like you asked, that my work schedule hasn't been cha
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 10
    Font - The_Haunted_Shining. 9 hr. ago If it's not your first offense, make them give it to you in writing. You did nothing wrong, tell them to manage better. 386 Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 11
    Font - onelOvenik 5 hr. ago I got fired for this once. So I called the health department on the establishment and got them shut down for a week! It was amazing 309 Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 12
    Font - Beauknits 6 hr. ago My Mom used to drive School Bus and worked part-time at Farm Fleet (named changed). She, literally, filled out the availability, which asked when she wasn't available. For weeks, every schedule, would have her scheduled for the times she was driving Bus. It took a letter from Bus Boss stating the times she was driving to get it through their thick skulls she couldn't be at Farm Fleet and drive Bus at the same time. They had the Gall to tell her to move the time she's t
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 13
    Rectangle - SplashbackDeuce - 9 hr. ago At least the text looks official with no spelling errors or anything. 172 Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 14
    Font - Shredded_Locomotive. 7 hr. ago You're joking right? ...r-rig... how dare you not let us take advantage of you?! 172 Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs
  • 15
    Font - bigjohnny440 5 hr. ago That was an awesome response, good job OP. Gotta love when you tell them in black and white "here is my availability" and the scheduling person does their best honey badger impression and just doesn't give an F....then they act surprised when you didn't just comply. 124 Reply Share
    via u/jeffyjeffs

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workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work toxic-boss mildly infuriating Horrible Bosses reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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