Manager refuses to reply to employee on her days off, yet keeps contacting them on their time off, employee doesn't respond: ‘Works both ways’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 29, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

How often do you text your boss, and how long does it take them to reply?

It depends on the job, since some employees rely more on their managers than others, but most workers need their manager's input from time to time. Whether it is to make decisions that are not qualified enough to make, or to give helpful advice about a workplace issue, managers are there for a reason, and they should be available to their employees' needs.

Yet, we all know that while on paper this makes perfect sense, it doesn't always happen this way. Some managers tend to go the exact opposite way and make themselves the least available to their employees, forcing them to handle some matters completely on their own. Even though it is completely in their job description, it seems like handling their employees' issues is considered a waste of time, and they would do their best to avoid it. Well, if you ask the employee in the story below, that should work both ways.

The manager featured below decided to enforce one major rule: If she's not at work, don't contact her unless it is an absolute emergency. If you need something from her, reach out to her assistant, but don't bother her while she is off the clock.

While this rule makes sense and is respected by the employees, they still find themselves forced to handle issues that should be the manager's responsibility. While they are not immediate emergencies, it still feels like it should be handled by the manager, yet she won't reply to texts she deems unimportant while she's not at work.

If that is how the manager wants to operate, that's fine, but she should know that this works both ways. This led an employee to refuse to reply to the texts the manager sends while they are off the clock themselves. "Oh, the manager can't find the scissors? Doesn't sound like an emergency to me," is the general approach the employee has taken. And there is nothing the manager can say to stop it, unless she starts leading by example.

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