‘‘Can I set some boundaries here?’: Boss starts company group chat to text employees outside of working hours, one employee is fed up with boss's entitlement and fires back

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 2, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

What's worse than having to speak to an entitled boss on the clock? Feeling obligated to speak to your entitled boss outside of working hours!

One thing we can all agree on is that the audacity of some higher-ups is dumbfounding. Bosses can dish it out but can never take it, and then they tattle to their boss about behavior that they incited over years of workplace mistreatment. There's nothing wrong with an employee standing up for themselves—they're not being prideful, they're being normal. Nobody gets to berate and embarrass their junior employee without the possibility of getting the same treatment fired back at them. If the higher-up has an issue, take it to HR. That's what HR is for, right?

The employee in this story is at risk of reprimand after his boss berated him in the company group chat after hours. The reason had to do with an issue a customer, who is close to the boss, faced earlier that day. The employee attempted to call the customer to right some wrongs but received no answer, so they left a detailed voicemail. The customer claims he hadn't heard from the employee, and the boss goes a bit male Karen on them after hours. Luckily, the employee knows their worth. Scroll below to read the full story.

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    Cheezburger Image 10423217920
    via Unsplash (NordWood Themes)
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    Owner of my company started a group chat to reprimand me after hours
    via cryfieri
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    To make it brief, the owner of my company started a text group chat (all personal cell phones) with his assistant, my boss and my boss's boss. He sent a screenshot
    via cryfieri
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    from a customer and a message implying that I'm incompetent at my job, followed by "would you prefer I just do this myself?" This was around 7pm. I work until 5.
    via cryfieri
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    The screenshot and message pertained to a very non-situation between myself and a customer (who happens to be his acquaintance). Earlier that day, boss's
    via cryfieri
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    assistant asked me to call customer. I called, they didn't pick up, so I left a detailed voicemail. Owner comes in an hour later and asks me if I called, I said yes I left a voicemail.
    via cryfieri
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    He says ok. Then, later that night, I guess customer doesn't know how to check voicemails or see missed calls, because they followed up with owner saying they
    via cryfieri
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    hadn't heard from me yet. Owner then starts the group chat and scolds me for not following up again after the missed call. I will point out, I've worked here 8 years and it's
    via cryfieri
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    never been policy to call multiple times after leaving a voicemail. So he says "would you prefer I just do this myself?" And I responded in kind, asking "would you
    via cryfieri
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    like to send me her address and I can go knock on her door? Perhaps not my best moment, but I was trying to decompress after an incredibly busy day at
    via cryfieri
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    work, only to be scolded for seemingly no reason in front of my superiors. I'm now being asked to go in for a meeting to discuss my behaviour.
    via cryfieri
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    Like, yes, my response was ride, but his message was ride. It was on my personal cell, after hours. Can I set some boundaries here? I wish I could just block his number.
    via cryfieri
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    charleybro... 2h ago. I say bravo. You are the hero I need today.
    via charleybrown72
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    Ivanh sAi... 2h ago • • Just look for a new job. I love how upper management can dish out the condescension like it's nothing but the second you fire back, YOU are the one who is
    via Ivanh**sAintLoyal
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    being unprofessional or inappropriate. Corporate executives and owners are the thinnest skinned little on planet earth.
    via Ivanh**sAintLoyal
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    77413 2h ago • If you are hourly, they need to pay you for the time. Further, a supervisor texting an employee is completely inappropriate.
    via 77413
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    smallte... • 2h ago. Work on that resume when you get a chance.
    via smallteam
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    Faux-Foe 2h ago. • Feign ignorance. Pretend you were being completely serious about knocking on the door. Double down on current policy about leaving a single
    via Faux-Foe
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    voicemail. Ask them if there has been a policy change that you were not made aware of regarding multiple contact attempts in a single day. Have them show you the written policy.
    via Faux-Foe
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    LiteroticaS... 1h ago • Nah sorry I hate when people talk to me like this you did the right thing by standing up for yourself. It is what it is. If you have to find a new job you can go out with
    via LiteroticaSharon
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    your head held up. That could have been an email, a discussion/meeting the next day, OR a private text between the two of you. So many better options and that's what he came up with...
    via LiteroticaSharon

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workplace-stories jobs employee toxic-workplace job employee of the month work memes bad jobs work coworkers askreddit reddit story horrible-management employees overworked-employees workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread entitled people toxic-work-environment
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