Manager tries to get employee to work during PTO, giving her personal number to a contractor and listing her as on-call for tasks she was never hired to do: ‘I said “absolutely not!” I am taking a paid vacation and will not be coming in’

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Etai Eshet • Editor
Apr 8, 2026 2:30 PM EDT

An employee on paid vacation gets a message from a stranger saying her manager put her on call for a contractor visit, then finds out the manager has already left town for Colorado, leaving her to clean up the miscommunication she created

Being on-call is one of those workplace arrangements that sounds simple until a manager gets creative with the definition. The original agreement is clear. Someone is available for emergencies, gets compensated specifically for that availability, and everyone understands what qualifies as an emergency. Then a scheduling gap appears, the manager spots someone on the roster who lives nearby and is technically reachable, and suddenly, on-call becomes a very flexible concept.

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  • Woman sitting at a table with a plate of food, talking on the phone while looking focused.
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • UPDATE: Today I received the following messages on my personal phone: "Hi (my name)- this is Ross with ssp.
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  • April gave me your contact into. Ryan from Schein might be able to sneak into the office tomorrow afternoon to measure some things for new pan and also building our full list of parts needed for icat.
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  • Are you by chance around to get him in?" My response: "I'm sorry there has been a miscommunication, please contact April." "Oh bummer.
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  • She is out of town in CO. Is there another team member that can meet someone at the office?" My response: "Yes, I believe Spencer and Stacey will be there I can send you their contact information.
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  • I'm sorry I have already talked to April about this I thought she sent you their information.
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  • ""Hi! Ok, April gave me their info in an earlier text....i just missed it. I just reached out to you since she said you were on call.
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  • Looks like those to might be 8 to noon mon thru weds :)" I don't know what to say anymore.
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  • Woman in a green sweater holding a phone to her ear, looking slightly concerned or thoughtful.
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • What’s particularly impressive about this situation is the sequencing. This manager has got rhythm, she gave out a personal phone number without asking, volunteered an employee for a task outside her on-call agreement, communicated none of this clearly to the contractor, and then left for Colorado. The employee finds out about all of it when a stranger texts her personal phone to ask if she can let someone into the office. The manager has essentially set a small fire, handed someone else a bucket, and boarded a flight.

  • I have made it clear that I am on call only for patient emergencies as per outlined.
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  • She did not fix the situation and headed out of town. How do I even reply?
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  • The employee handles it gracefully, redirects the contractor to the correct people, and thinks the situation is resolved. Then the contractor texts back to mention that actually, the manager told him she was on call, which is how he ended up with her number in the first place. Now she is in the position of explaining to someone above her manager's head that no, she is not available, which reads as unhelpful to someone who has no context for the internal disagreement that led to this moment.

  • I'm fuming. Now I look bad to someone above her head saying no because that's not my job and not what I am paid to do.
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  • ORIGINAL POST: AITAH for telling my manager no for coming in on my paid vacation? Today my manager texted me this: "Hi (my name), I have Spencer and Stacy here next week, but they may need someone to let Henry Schein in and out to install a pan machine upstairs so I shared your contact with Ross, just in case." I talked to her and said ABSOLUTELY NOT that I am taking a paid vacation and will not be coming by to unlock the doors multiple times just because I live the closest.
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  • Her response was "So you're telling me no? You're on call." I again said absolutely not.
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  • I get paid extra to be on call- FOR PATIENTS!!!! I will come in for a patient emergency because I get an extra $100 a week to deal with those so the doctor doesn't have to.
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  • This is the hidden cost of a manager who treats other people's boundaries as minor inconveniences to route around. It is not just the vacation being disrupted. It is the employee being made to look uncooperative to people who only have the manager's framing of the situation. The manager gets to be in Colorado. The employee gets to send politely worded texts to strangers explaining that there has been a miscommunication she did not cause.

  • I DO NOT get that money to be on call to unlock a door during my paid vacation!!!
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  • I also very bluntly told her never to give out my information without asking again. even if it pertains to work (mind you this is my PERSONAL contact information she gave out.
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  • The hundred dollars a week is something, but it was never going to be enough for whatever this is.

  • Not the on call number). She was not happy. AITAH?
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  • non_person_sphere You're NTA. Text this person and politely make it clear what you are available for and what you aren't. When your boss is back making it clear you need to have a conversation about what being on call entails and that you will be following it up in writing. You're absolutely right to be extremely angry you just need to make sure you're angry in a way that is constructive and professional.
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  • Emo_Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply "I am sorry about this I specifically told April I am only available for patient emergencies as I am on PTO. I don't mean to inconvenience you." Is this an appropriate way to end the conversation?
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply I put in a request with HR (not her though the parent company) saying this: Dear HR Team, I hope you're doing well. I am writing to formally request a meeting to review and clearly outline the details of my patient emergency on-call duties. I would appreciate having a written document that reflects and confirms what I have previously agreed to verbally, so there is a clear and mutual understanding moving forward. Additionally, I would like to request that my
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  • Mowsmom22 Handled swiftly, professionally and like an adult!
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply Thank you I'm so scared I'm just a baby I've never been to HR before
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  • Mowsmom22 It'll be ok. It was smart. Let me know what transpires. Maybe you should Reddit every decision moving forward. Literally. That would be an interesting study.
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply ABahahahhahaha My daily blog would be wild
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  • NoSmile4407 This seems confusing tbh. Are you on PTO or on call? There are protocols for giving your PTO hours back if you are working (ex. Answering texts) while on PTO). Maybe this is industry specific, but I'm in HR and a manager, and if my employer answers texts while on PTO because someone in my office can't wait to contact them, I return PTO in their balance. I am militant about not contacting staff during PTO.
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  • Emo_Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply This is why I want the meeting to clarify these things.
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  • TALKTOME0701 Why would you still be the on-call person while you're on pto? It seems like they would have. assigned it to someone else during your vacation.
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply I think I'm being taken advantage of. I'm young and trying to figure that out I set up a meeting with HR.
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  • non_person_sphere Are you in a union? Can you join a union where you are?
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply I am sadly not.
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  • Mowsmom22 I think hr unapologetically. Have them put in writing exactly what on call is. My guess is she's going to show that she has more power and already be ready to complain about you. Send them a written email asking exactly what's stipulated in the contract. Update!!
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply I did I'm over it it is posted lower in the thread!
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  • non_person_sphere Ok. I think you just need some genuine independent HR advice for your area. It really depends what the law is.
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply Yeah I'm lost and honestly don't know what to do anymore. I have had multiple problems like this with her before and have had multiple conversations regarding them with her and nothing changes. I will be looking for a new job after maternity leave, but for now until after that I am stuck :(
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  • ImprovementWhich2188 OP: Great email. But who is your backup? Why would anyone assume you are in the vicinity or even available to do this task while on PTO? What if you were in another state? Or at an event? Something is VERY mismanaged if you are expected to ALWAYS be on call, even if on PTO (which I don't think is necessarily legal). Putting this issue aside, what if it was a legit patient emergency when you're on PTO 500 miles away? Why would anyone assume you're on call? PTO is very differe
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  • Emo Queen0510 Original Poster's Reply So usually if I am not in town during vacation someone else covers, they usually ask if I am available and I get extra pay if I am so they kind of have to know if I am available. But again I agreed only for patient emergencies- nothing else.
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