Nursing home asks admin workers to help with landscaping at the beginning of each shift, suggest they bring their own rakes: 'Use up all PTO. Find new job.'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 21, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

When you're looking for a job, odds are you're taking a look at the job description. You're reading the bullet points and assessing if those tasks will suit your capabilities. Then, you apply for the job with the idea that you'd be a good fit, or at the very least grow into a good fit after some training. Then at the job, you expect to be handed over the tasks that were in your job description. It's pretty simple. 

Sure, the odd task might come up now and again that wasn't lined out in the description, but chances are it's at least tangentially related to your job. At least you hope it is. Or else that's false advertising, right? It's unfortunately not always this simple in the world of modern work, where employees can easily find themselves in situations where they're being taken advantage of. It happens more than we'd like it to, but this situation was particularly egregious. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10482628608
    via Unsplash+ (A. C.)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • One worker found themselves in that situation when their desk job threatened to turn into a manual labor job. They were left dumbfounded when asked to add something to their job description that was pretty out of the ordinary. Read on for the story and decide what you would have done.

  • 02

    Informed this morning that all staff our meeting would be doing landscaping and yard work to "help out."

    So for context, I have been working in a nursing home in medical records for about three months. This is a decent, clean, and relatively compassionate nursing home from the negative experiences I've had as a residents family member at one point. It started off that I was just doing the medical records in terms of filing, organizing, entering resident records to our online system, etc.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 03
    Then a month in, my supervisor told everyone at our morning meeting without my prior knowledge, that she was excited to share that I would soon begin our AP work, gradually picking up more admin and accounting work. This was a shock to me, as I was new to my role in medical records and was not under the impression I would also be doing work to assist the accountant as well. So, I grinned and beared it, picking up an additional responsibility to my role.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 04
    This was a month ago, I'm drowning in my work and if I ask for clarification on how to do something I was not trained or shown to do, I'm met with crickets and no one even pointing me to someone who can at least answer my questions. I've been frustrated and tired trying to manage this workload, having only vene here three months and given tasks I was provided one day of training to do. Coupled with the stress of understaffed facility, stress is rampant here.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 05
    So, this morning, all department heads and administrative staff were informed at our daily meeting that we would be helping out for two days in a row next week doing lawn and landscaping work. We would be raking, digging, mulching, and cleaning up wherever they saw fit for the front yard and the properties land. We
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 06
    also were informed we should bring rakes and other tools to do the work, as well. Everyone in the room - the physical therapist, the nursing staff, other administrative staff - went quiet. Others seemed fine, as they had done this before for the facility it seemed. I sat there dumbfounded at having heard this. I do the medical records and recently accounts
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 07
    payable, but for two days in a row next week I would be expected to work outside and perform lawn and land work with our two maintenance staff.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 08
    I just don't even understand how I've gotten here, how I've let myself be wakes over to this point and how people almost seemed okay with this expectation. This isn't some family business or nonprofit, where we break our backs for the well being of the business. I'm underpaid for the work I AM hired to actually do, let
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 09
    alone to work outside. I have bad knees and asthma, let alone my own responsibilities to do. I've been applying to jobs for a couple of weeks now and have eve had three interviews. In no place in my job description does it say to do lawn or landscaping work. I'll be asking for a print out of my job description if given flack for not
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 10
    providing essentially free labor and giving my two weeks if pressed even after that. I guess I was alway just too naive to think that worker exploitation was this close to home. Any advice is appreciated, but this was more if a rant then anything.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 11
    Tldr: I've been working in medical records in a nursing home for three months, provided little to no training, informed I'd be doing AP more recently, drowning in work I barely understand and now told we all would be doing two days worth of lawn and landscaping work next week.
    via u/lovely_liability
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10482628864
    via Unsplash+ (JSB Co.)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 13

    Other workers assured them that this was not a normal ask.

    Hefty_Resolution_4... • 1h ago Just show up and go into your office and do your regular job. F them.
    via u/Hefty_Resolution_452
  • 14
    • CaptinACAB 1h ago "No. That's not the job I agreed to when I was hired."
    via u/CaptinACAB
  • 15
    TheHip41 1h ago Use up all PTO. Find new job. Quit without notice
    via u/TheHip41
  • 16
    Any_March_9765 • 1h ago welp that's a new one. I'd look for a new job probably, but you can use weaponized incompetence as a last resort. F their lawn, make it abundantly clearly beforehand that you have no idea how to do lawn work, no experience, no skill. Oops, is that the lawn mower motor that I accidentally pour water in? Oh no... I didn't know...
    via u/Any_March_9765
  • 17
    DayVDave 1h ago • You can do an awful job at landscaping, bare minimum effort, basically just hanging out and getting in the way. Might be nice to spend the day outside. Or you could always tell your boss that your landscaping rate is $80/h, paid in cash at the end of the day.
    via u/DayVDave
  • 18
    . Obtuse-Angel 1h ago Expect that this will absolutely be a company that dodges responsibility when an employee gets hurt performing work that they were required to do while being outside of their job descriptions and not given adequate training or safety equipment. This is not a healthy or safe working environment
    via u/Obtuse-Angel
  • 19
    Apprehensive-Pop-... • 1h ago This place sounds seriously understaffed and cheaply run. If there are ANY red flags, other than this huge flapping banner one, call the state licensing entity. Or, if it takes. any Medicare dollars call Medicare. This place sounds scary and Medicare don't play.
    via u/Apprehensive-Pop-201
  • 20
    crunchy-b t • 1h ago I would assume there is some liability/insurance issues that would prevent you from having to do maintenance. I work for a manufacturing company in the office. I am not insured to work in the warehouse or in the field.
    via u/crunchy-b**t
  • 21
    Tarik861 51m ago Ask them if they are certain that the workers comp insurance, which probably has you rated as an office worker, has been upgraded to cover everyone as landscapers. Ask in writing, and also ask for them to confirm in writing that you are
    via u/Tarik861
  • 22
    being assigned this work. Confirm to not only your boss but up the chain through the facility manager that you have not "volunteered" for this, but were assigned by your supervisor to do so. If you can convince others to do the same, that will strengthen your position.
    via u/Tarik861
  • 23
    They may fire you, but that is better than getting injured doing something you weren't hired to do.
    via u/Tarik861
  • 24
    SomeCallMeMahm . 1h ago "No." is a complete sentence. Refer them to the local hardware store for tool rental and maybe day laborers while they're there.
    via u/SomeCallMeMahm
  • 25
    Baked Brie26 · 1h ago You have to set boundaries. This should be a no. If you have to make up an excuse then say, "medical reasons." They don't need any more. than that.
    via u/BakedBrie26
  • 26
    As for the other work, stop doing things outside your job description without a pay raise. Do the job you were hired to do well and the other job poorly. Either they will realize things are not right or they will fire you and you can collect unemployment while finding a less exploitative job.
    via u/BakedBrie26
  • 27
    Lawmonger • 1h ago Nursing homes are notoriously poorly run, so I can't say I'm surprised. They can ask you to do anything legal as long it's on their dime. An employer can have its employees, as long
    via u/Lawmonger
  • 28
    as they're paid their regular wage, work on the political campaign of the employer's liking and have them sit through religious sermons (as long as it's not considered harassment). Landscaping is pretty tame compared to what they could ask you to do.
    via u/Lawmonger
  • 29
    If your physical limitations prevent you from doing lawn work, ask that you not be forced to do so as a reasonable accommodation to your disabilities. You'll need to have your doctor back you up on this.
    via u/Lawmonger
  • 30
    Regarding the accounting work, I would document the issues you're having, the obstacles you face, and ask for the help you need to do the job successfully. Write a memo or email, keep a copy, and send it to your boss and HR. I would be concerned
    via u/Lawmonger
  • 31
    they may fire you for not keeping up. If they do and you file for unemployment compensation, they may contest it because they'll claim you were fired because you couldn't do your job. If you document why you couldn't do your job (you were set up to fail), you may be able to collect benefits. Good luck!
    via u/Lawmonger

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