23-year-old forces her coworker to constantly cover her shifts because she has a boyfriend and he's single: 'I figured you'd be fine with it since you don't have a girlfriend or kids to worry about.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jul 17, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

There's nothing worse than a coworker who walks all over you and a manager who lets it happen. I don't miss the time in my life when people would beg me to cover their shift and act like I was a bad person for not being able to do so. It's challenging to plan your social life when you don't find out your work schedule until a week before it happens, but you can't expect your coworkers to pick up all of your weekend shifts just because you bought concert tickets for every Friday night that month. 

Back in the summer of 2019, I was more than happy to cover other people's shifts because I didn't have much going on at the time. But even if I didn't have the most thriving social life, that didn't mean that they were entitled to my coverage. You're responsible for doing your job, no matter what you've got going on outside of work. 

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  • 01

    Coworker thinks I should cover all her shifts because I'm single

    This is driving me absolutely insane. I work at a restaurant and there's this girl Sarah (23F) who constantly asks me to cover her shifts. I'm 26M and apparently being single means I have no life?
    via u/Mundane_Hat8051

  • The employee in this story is being taken advantage of in two ways. His coworker forces him to cover her shifts by lying to management (she tells management that he agreed to take her shifts when he had not), and management lets it happen. 

  • 02
    At first it was occasional - she had a date, family thing, whatever. But now it's literally every week. Last Friday she texted me at 6am asking if I could work her double because she wanted to go to her boyfriends cousins birthday party. When I said no she replied "come on you dont have anything else to do anyway."
    via u/Mundane_Hat8051
  • 03
    Cheezburger Image 10531412736
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • 04
    Yesterday was the final straw. She scheduled a shift trade with me without asking, then told our manager that I agreed to it. When I confronted her she said "I figured you'd be fine with it since you don't have a girlfriend or kids to worry about."
    via u/Mundane_Hat8051
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10531427840
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • 06
    The audacity! Just because I'm single doesn't mean I don't have plans, hobbies, or a life outside work. I have friends, family, things I want to do on my days off.
    via u/Mundane_Hat8051
  • 07
    Our manager seems to think this is just normal workplace stuff but I'm getting really tired of being treated like my time doesn't matter.
    via u/Mundane_Hat8051
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10531428096
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • 09
    Casey TheArtist91 I would never cover another shift for her. And I'd tell your boss not to just take her word for stuff like that. Needs to hear it from both of you.
    via u/CaseyTheArtist91
  • 10
    Middle-Cloud-4814 And get it in writing
    via u/Middle-Cloud-4814
  • 11
    robopirateninjasaur "Hey Manager, as you are now aware I did not agree to this shift swap, so please dont believe her when she says this any time in the future. Also her unwillingness to show up to her shifts is going to create a mess for you, so you need to sort this out".
    via u/robopirateninjasaur
  • 12
    TogarSucks This and block her number.
    via u/TogarSucks
  • 13
    Interesting_Team5871 That last part can be worded better, don't talk to managers like that it'll only cause trouble for you
    via u/Interesting_Team5871
  • 14
    Icy-Soft-5853 Managers absolutely need to be buried into doing their jobs if they don't want corporate to find out how terrible they are at their jobs and replace them. Managers are always the easiest to replace as they are the least skilled at anything that actually matters.
    via u/Icy-Soft-5853
  • 15
    GhostMause14 He should be talked to like that if he can't fix his workplace. I hate management that doesn't have a spine
    via u/GhostMause14
  • 16
    shillyshally So, speak up. Tell her no. If she asks why, tries to draw you in, tries to get you to defend your no, do not engage further. Repeat no until she goes away. It's uncomfortable the first time, maybe a second time since she seems way far into entitlement, but twice ought to do it. Remember, just the one word, no.
    via u/shillyshally
  • 17
    Rackshaw_Bangem If it's normal workplace stuff for someone to lie about you agreeing to cover their shift, it's also normal to not show up for something you didn't agree to.
    via u/Rackshaw_Bangem
  • 18
    dukedracula She's way out of line. Treating you like your time doesn't matter just because you're single is not okay. And scheduling a shift trade without even asking is beyond disrespectful. That's not how it works.
    via u/dukedracula
  • 19
    You've clearly been trying to be helpful but now she's just using you. You're allowed to say no. You don't need a partner or kids to have valid reasons for keeping your time. Next time she tries anything like that, make it clear she needs to ask first and stop assuming you're free.
    via u/dukedracula
  • 20
    Your manager brushing it off is weak too. If it keeps going, keep a record of what happens and bring it up again. You deserve to be treated like your time matters because it does.
    via u/dukedracula
  • 21
    NYC-WhWmn-ov50 Single people usually have MORE stuff on their calendar, in my experience.
    via u/NYC-WhWmn-ov50
  • 22
    Annika_Desai Look for another job because your manager is enabling her behaviour. If you feel comfy to do so, make up a gf Oh, I can't, I have plans with my gf
    via u/Annika_Desai
  • 23
    moeljills Nah, because the principleof the situation gets lost. This is about her taking liberties with his time. And using him, making up a gf is almost the worst situation, especially if he gets found out.
    via u/moeljills
  • 24
    the-midnight_barber Are you young? When I was young I gave up all important dates and holidays for people assuming being single or childless meant I was less than. Now I'm a wife and mother, I can't stress enough how much it's your life and you deserve the day off just as much as anyone else irrespective of your marital status or child status etc. Tell them to kick rocks.
    via u/the-midnight_barber
  • 25
    Working_Honey_7442 I am more upset at you being such a push over that this girl find it acceptable to treat you this way.
    via u/Working_Honey_7442

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terrible coworkers boyfriend single workplace-stories toxic-manager toxic-workplace manager coworkers karen coworker managers workplace coworker workplace story
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