On-call employee reprimanded for not coming in despite never being notified by hostile manager: 'Am I being gaslit?'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 24, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Don't you just love it when your manager punishes you for their own mistake?

We are all probably accustomed to this phenomenon regardless of industry, but this kind of behavior seems to be particularly widespread in the service industry and especially when it comes to scheduling shifts. This employee was on-call and usually would be notified by mid-afternoon if he was needed to come in that night. This time, he wasn't notified so he rightfully assumed that he was not needed. 

Well, it turns out that his boss lost his cool when the employee didn't show up. Even though the employee explained the situation and defended himself (see the full text exchange below), the manager continued to dig his heels into the ground and insisted that the employee should have known to come in, as if he could read minds. Keep scrolling below for the original story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about the top lame corporate gifts people received from their bosses.

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  • 01
    Never thought I'd be making on of these posts; but am I being gaslit?
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 02
    5:43 50 Are you on your way to I was never told to come in tonight You're on call which is a real shift. If you don't hear from us then you're suppose to reach out. We did send a message saying we were going to use you I'm just now reading Kevin's message on 7shifts, but I only just received it 20 minutes ago Ο A A iMessage Wi-Fi Thursday, June 20 5:38 7shifts Scheduling New Chat Message 20m ago Kevin Nguyen posted a message to the Chat Mgroup: We will need your on call tonight if Eric didn't me
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 03
    5:43 50 M 7shifts Scheduling 20m ago New Chat Message posted a message to the Chat group: We will need your on call tonight if Eric didn't message you To reply to this message, simply reply to this email Update Email Pref... And I have never went into work for an on call shift I wasn't told to come in for Jonathan the policy has been the same since the day you have been here. We reach out to you when we have time, but if you do not hear from us you are suppose to send us a message and get a hold
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 04
    6:07 50 here. We reach out to you when we have time, but if you do not hear from us you are suppose to send us a message and get a hold of the MOD You either reach out to us or we reach out to you. We were busy switching floors this afternoon. So you should have sent a message to either myself or Eric to see if you were coming in or not It was an on-call shift tonight and wasn't called in or contacted until 20 minutes after I was scheduled so I assumed that I wasn't needed, in hindsight I unders
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 05
    Most Thursdays I'm on call for my dinner shift, and most Thursdays I'm notified by 2-2:30 whether or not I'm needed for my shift. Today neither of the two managers on duty tried to contact me so I assumed that I wasn't needed and didn't go into work. (On previous occasions I have done this and it wasn't a problem) now they need me and I'm not available, this is a reasonable thing for me to be upset with, no?
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 06
    MadWhiskeyGrin 22 hr. ago "if you're on call you need to call in!" sounds like horses to me.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 07
    NolChannel 21 hr. ago They forgot to call you and are trying to push the blame onto you. 100% gaslit.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 08
    STEVE_FROM_EVE. 21 hr. ago Demand the policy you signed acknowledging this. guy that
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 09
    OdessaOfHwen OP. 21 hr. ago The handbook I never had the chance to read because it's on an app I have no access to, the same app two different managers have failed to fix for me, this manager in particular was aware I never read the handbook when he told me to sign the paper in front of me saying I had
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 10
    Inspection No6750 22 hr. ago Total idiocy. They can't send you a message to let you know if they want you in? That's the absolute bare minimum effort a manager can put out. To ask you to call in is ridiculous. On call means they call you if they need to.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 11
    zephyrseija2 21 hr. ago On call means available for you to tell me if you need me in or not. Scheduling is your responsibility, not mine.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 12
    VerdensTrial. 21 hr. ago On call means you are called in if they need you. This is horses
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 13
    Inb InBed 20 hr. ago Impossible to just say "hey buddy, we got busy and I forgot to reach out and let you know we need you today. Can you come in?" I swear the ability to admit fault, no matter how minor, is so rare these days.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 14
    OisforOwesome 21 hr. ago On call means "if we need you we will call." It doesn't mean "psychically determine that you are needed and arrive just in time to save management from their incompetence."
    via u/Odessa0fHwen
  • 15
    romafa 21 hr. ago Make sure you count "reaching out to them if you don't hear anything" as time worked. Maybe do it once an hour or something.
    via u/Odessa0fHwen

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace shifts job work Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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