Retail Manager Insists on Not Being Contacted Outside Working Hours, Gets Offended When Employees Don't Respond to Her Texts off the Clock

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 1, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Few jobs require an employee to be on call 24 hours a day.

After all, that is not an arrangement that most people would agree to; it is pretty normal to want to be able to clock in, work your shift, and not expect to have to deal with work until the next time they have to go there. 

It's true that this isn't the case for every job. Sometimes a person has to be on call, or they have no choice but to be the designated individual for issues that may arise at the workplace when they aren't there. While it is easy for this to go too far, there is a reason why working conditions like this exist. In particular, when someone has more responsibility in a role, they may expect that they get contacted out of hours every so often.

As well as this, there are plenty of roles where being contacted off the clock doesn't mean that an immediate response is needed. The boundary between work and leisure can still be maintained somewhat. In particular, in a management position, it is to be expected that there might be some issues that just cannot be properly resolved without your involvement.

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  • A young female retail employee holds a clipboard and pen while leaning behind a counter
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A young female retail employee holds a clipboard and pen while leaning behind a counter

  • A retail worker was annoyed by the behavior of her new manager, who she felt had been acting unprofessionally. She came across an issue in the store that she had no choice but to inform her of right away, and the supervisor replied by telling her that she should not be contacted for non-emergencies when she was not working.

    In response, the employee decided that she would not be responding to her texts when she was off the clock. Eventually, their company started to institute a policy that meant she would not be able to continue with this kind of contact, either.

  • Respect time off and don't 'stress' you on your days off? Sure. Works both ways.

    I don't work for the best company- it's corporate and the higher ups have little understanding of what goes on at ground level. When I started, it was under a great manager that protected us from most of the 'cr p rolls down hill' politics.
    via indigowulf
  • He was promoted out of the store, and after a few misfires, we got a new manager. She is very loud, she will get in conversations with friends and loudly discuss controversial opinions and swear like a sailor. I've had a few customers quietly ask me why I had not reported her to the manager, then roll their eyes and express sympathy when I said she IS my manager.
    via indigowulf
  • Anyway, there's a system in place for who to call when no manager is available. We are a tiny team, and most of us work solo. If the manager is coming in the morning, we call her the night before with concerns. If she's not and its the assistant, we call the assistant. Sure, no problem.
    via indigowulf
  • I found an issue I thought was important enough to inform her right away instead of waiting until the next day she worked. I took pictures and shot a short text explaining it. (food health code violation from one of our vendors).
    via indigowulf
  • I got back, and this is the exact text: "I need you guys to understand that if the store is not on fire, your not being robbed your need to be contacting (assistant managers name) not me unless its an emergency please"
    via indigowulf
  • An array of dairy products on refrigerator shelves in a grocery store
    via Quilia

    An array of dairy products on refrigerator shelves in a grocery store

  • 4 days later, she sends me a text scolding me for not 'doing my job' when it was in fact a managerial level job, not my level. Then the following text a few minutes later saying "oh, you DID do it. sorry" and she sent me some points in our stores 'good job' system. I didnt respond. I wasn't on the clock.
    via indigowulf
  • Then she text me asking what my pay rate was, for my review. I decided to respond to this one even though it's kind of, you know, her job to know.
    via indigowulf
  • I started getting stupid texts from her like "do you know where the scissors went?" and stuff that.. according to the precedent she set, was not a store emergency and not my problem until I'm on the clock. I ended up deciding that I will not be answering her if I'm not on the clock. She calls, I let it go to voice mail. She texts, I leave her on read until I'm on the clock.
    via indigowulf
  • Now, the company has made a 'no phones while on the clock' policy as well. So, I guess she can't text or call me while I'm on the clock either unless she calls the store phone. (That's a whole other can of worms- they want us to use a mandatory app for store communication.. but not have our phones out. I asked for clarification ON
    via indigowulf
  • THE WELCOME MESSAGE on the new app, asking if they are lifting the phones at work ban, or expect us to work off the clock? Everyone in the company got to see my question and the answering "we'll get back to you" that has yet to happen- now nobody is using the app because policy says we can't lol)
    via indigowulf
  • Woops. Guess she will have to come in, in person, on her days off if she wants to talk to me. Maybe she should not have chewed my a out so hard when I just sent her 1 text.
    via indigowulf
  • A female retail employee writes on a clipboard while leaning behind a counter
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A female retail employee writes on a clipboard while leaning behind a counter

  • iFoldMySocks I'd delete the app. theyre getting data when your off the clock. if they require an app, they can provide a phone.
    via iFoldMySocks
  • pgh9fan And they will never answer you because they want you to use the app, but they absolutely cannot put it in writing that you need to work off the clock.
    via pgh9fan
  • argetlamzn It's times like this where I want to buy whatever today's version of the Nokia Brick is. Can't download apps, can only call or text.
    via argetlamzn
  • No-Price5802 She sounds a great mix of selfish and stupid, good luck on teaching her the error of her ways!
    via No-Price5802
  • Apart-Ad-6518 They've got themselves into a Gordian knot situation. Yeah whoops. I'm guessing you won't get an answer anytime soon. Just don't work off the clock ever.
    via Apart-Ad-6518
  • SmallPeederWacker LMFAOO yea my job has an app that as management I'm supposed to use. Nope, you do not pay my phone bill sorry.
    via SmallPeederWacker

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malicious compliance retail worker workplace bad bosses
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