'He was blowing up my phone on nights and weekends': Boss refuses to stop contacting employee outside of work hours, coworkers side with the boss

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 1, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

This person has gotten the sign they needed to start looking for a new job. 

Leave it to the Redditors of the world to give out sage advice. Since they're just random people online, they tend to have a level-headed view of a situation, even if the person posting their query might not always agree. This person, u/freeefinally, was curious if they were really not pulling their weight in the workplace. They shared that their boss simply will not leave them be! He keeps calling them constantly during weekends and holidays. 

So now, instead of resting and recharging during their downtime, this person has to have constant guilt trips from the boss. Instead of lazing around in bed on a Sunday morning, they now have to try and ignore the numerous calls and messages from their boss. 

The original poster was told to start looking for a new job, because it certainly seems like their work ethic isn't aligned with the place they're at. It doesn't matter how logical this person is about it, if a place expects their employees to be on call basically 24/7, they're not going to tolerate someone who has boundaries about that. 

Up next, read about the person whose neighborhood crows have "extorted me into providing them boiled eggs." 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10382569728
    via Dane Deaner on Unsplash
  • 02
    r/AmItheA . Posted by u/freeefinally 717 13 AITA for telling my boss "no" to working weekends, when my coworkers don't? Not the I got hired for this salaried job where they really hyped up the work life balance and reasonable hours in the job interview. Like the way that they never expect people to stay late or work on weekends or holidays.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 03
    That turned out to be BS. My boss got my personal phone number off my resume from when I applied and after not long he was blowing up my phone on nights and weekends asking me to come work.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 04
    I'd always not answer then when he'd ask on Monday why I wasn't answering my phone, I'd pull out my work phone like "sorry, are you sure you had the right number? I'm not seeing any missed calls" and he'd often say he called my own cell so I'd say that I don't really use it much, I leave it home a lot, and when I do check it I've usually got like 40 missed calls and my voicemail is always full so I probably miss stuff unless I'm expecting a call at a certain time. And that if he needs to reach m
    via u/freeefinally
  • 05
    He asked me how he could reach me outside of 9 to 5 because he sees I leave my work phone on my desk at night and over the weekend. I said that honestly I'm not glued to any phone on the weekend so if he needs me to take a call on the weekend, could he make it a meeting request and put it on my calendar, so I know to be available. Or if I know I won't be available to take a call, I can suggest an alternate time to call.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 06
    He said that wasn't really gonna work for him, more often things come up last minute and when he calls people on the weekend it wasn't planned. And that he's not calling for a teleconference meeting, he's calling asking people to come in.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 07
    I said that on the weekends I usually have commitments that were made one to three weeks out and I'm not often able to cancel a previous commitment with under a day notice. So if he needs me in on a weekend it'd be best if he could schedule that three weeks out so that I know not to make conflicting plans.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 08
    He said that wasn't possible and I said okay, he could try and reach out and I'd answer the phone if I heard it ringing, but I wasn't always on the phone so I might not catch it always
    via u/freeefinally
  • 09
    Anyway, I've gone back to ignoring his calls and my coworkers have gotten kinda frustrated with me saying that coming in on weekends is part of the job and that I wasn't pulling my weight. I said that I don't know what job they signed on for but in my job interview I was promised regular hours and took my pay based on regular hours so I'm working regular hours.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 10
    My coworkers got frustrated and said that if everyone did what I was doing nothing would get done. I said maybe nothing should get done then, if it's coming at the cost of y'all not being home for dinner with the family.
    via u/freeefinally
  • 11
    I don't really think my coworkers see it as an option to say no, so they're angry at me because I'm doing it and they're not comfortable doing it AITA for not working evenings or weekends?
    via u/freeefinally
  • 12
    theOGbeav Parta ipant [2] NTA but I'd start - looking for a new job.
    via u/theOGbeav
  • 13
    sueelleker A: Aficionado [13] And in the meantime, get a new personal phone number.
    via u/sueelleker
  • 14
    Darkest_97 Also in the meantime convince the other coworkers they're being taken advantage of
    via u/Darkest_97
  • 15
    freeefinally OP I am actively looking, but I also decided to hold out for something really good and not just jump on the first offer I get; so it's taking some patience
    via u/freeefinally
  • 16
    ClassicEvent6. OP you might already know this, but your people live at r/antiwork - which is an excellent sub that promotes exactly what you are doing. People taking back control over their personal lives. I say NTA, I wish your coworkers would follow suit and well done to you.
    via u/ClassicEvent6
  • 17
    ThatSavings Parta ipant [1] Why should they? They are doing just fine not answering calls on weekends. Let the boss fire OP, collect unemployment. Then look for new job if it comes down to that
    via u/ThatSavings
  • 18
    squirrelfoot Is it legal where you are to harass people at home out of hours like this without a formal on call system? It sounds to me like it's the manager who should be looking for a new job since they are the person who is incapable of getting the work organised without ruining the team's work/life balance. I hope the staff are at least paid to deal with this mess.
    via u/squirrelfoot
  • 19
    appleciders. In the US, this would be legal for an exempt* employee, like a manager or a professional like a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, a computer programmer, or some other fields.
    via u/appleciders
  • 20
    *Not "salary". Salaried status gets abused constantly in America because people don't know better. "Salary" and "Exempt from overtime" are not the same thing. I have been salary and subject to overtime pay before; you can bet I didn't do any work from home on my own time.
    via u/appleciders
  • 21
    freeefinally OP. I'm salary and also excempt from overtime; I'm a software developer
    via u/freeefinally
  • 22
    crazytrini Parta pant [1] NTA. BUT be prepared to be fired soon. Your coworkers and boss are going to be looking for any reason to get you in trouble and if you are on probation expect to be let go. I know it but thats the way these companies boot lickers work. Good on you standing your ground and shame on the company for lying to you about the job
    via u/crazytrini
  • 23
    Blackcat0123 Parta_ipant [2] NTA. As you said, you signed on for the salary and hours implied. You owe nothing outside of that. But look for another job. You won't keep this one for long. Also, good post for r/antiwork
    via u/Blackcat0123
  • 24
    freeefinally OP Fwiw I feel like my team is so understaffed and overburdened that my boss is terrified anyone will leave for the next 8 months (when the big deliverable is due) I took down some photos from my desk because they were of me and my now-ex boyfriend who had just dumped me
    via u/freeefinally
  • 25
    And my boss called me in that afternoon in a panic asking if I was thinking of quitting because he saw me cleaning out my desk. And that the team really couldn't lose anyone more before the deadline because we have so much experience and knowledge of the system that anyone new wouldn't have. I had to awkwardly explain I wasn't preparing to quit, I'd just been dumped and didn't want to be seeing my ex's face every day. So that's where the photos went
    via u/freeefinally
  • 26
    (Even more awkwardly.. I am trying to quit, I just wasn't trying to imply that by taking down the photos)
    via u/freeefinally
  • 27
    According Television6. NTA, the only people being unfair are your coworkers who are being unfair to themselves. If they get frustrated then they should stop working weekends, hopefully they figure that out and stick to it. If it's a genuine issue for the business then they need to find a fair way of scheduling time on weekends and compensating people for that, not asking you to work last-minute for no extra pay.
    via u/According Television6

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boss aita workplace-stories jobs job phone call bosses work coworkers phone workplace
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