Coworker lies to their manager by claiming a colleague agreed to cover her shift so she could leave for a hair appointment, then calls them petty for refusing to help during a real emergency later: 'Now the office feels awkward'

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Jul 23, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Can you trust a coworker again after they lie using your name again?

A simple favor between coworkers turned into a much bigger issue after one employee falsely told their manager that a colleague had already agreed to cover their shift so they could leave early for a hair appointment. When the lie was exposed, trust between them quickly disappeared. 

Days later, the same coworker asked for help during what appeared to be a genuine family emergency, but the colleague refused, arguing that being manipulated once was enough. Now the office is divided over whether protecting personal boundaries outweighed making an exception for a child-related emergency.

I'll be the first to say that I'd never cover for a coworker who's leaving for something so unimportant, like a hair appointment. Are you really making me work more just for you to have your hair done? I really don't get it at all. I relate to the employee here and how she defended her name once her coworker told her manager she was already covering her. I actually would have done the same thing.

Also, if this hair appointment thing never had happened and everyone had worked like they were supposed to, I'm sure the OP would've more likely covered her when she had the real emergency with her son at the school. But since she lied to the manager and used her name, I agree that she didn't cover her, once again.

In every workplace, certain codes cannot be broken. And the most important one has to be honesty and being a team player. There's no way to have a good work environment if everyone does whatever they want all the time, and uses their coworkers to get an advantage to leave early for personal things that aren't emergencies. It's fundamental that all respect each other's time and work, and never pretends they are willing to do a favour without asking first. That's a lesson everyone has to learn, either the good way or the bad way.

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  • An employee stands firm after deciding that trust, once broken, cannot be restored with a simple apology.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    An employee stands firm after deciding that trust, once broken, cannot be restored with a simple apology.

    Woman pictured is a model used for illustration.

  • I work at a small office where only four of us handle customer requests, so when someone leaves early the rest usually have to absorb their work.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • One of my coworkers, Claire, has asked me several times to cover the last hour of her shift because of appointments, car trouble, or family stuff. I normally say yes because she has covered for me once or twice too.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Last Tuesday she came to my desk around 3:30 and said our manager had already approved her leaving early because I had agreed to finish her open requests. This was the first I had heard about it. I told her I had a deadline of my own and had never agreed to anything.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • She looked annoyed and said she had assumed I would help because I "always do.” A few minutes later our manager messaged me asking whether I was still okay covering Claire.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • I explained that nobody had asked me. Claire then admitted she had told him we had already discussed it because she needed to leave for a hair appointment and was worried he would say no otherwise.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • She said it was harmless since I was staying until five anyway. I refused, and she had to cancel the appointment. She barely spoke to me for the rest of the week.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Yesterday she asked me to cover again because her son's school called and needed someone to pick him up. This time it sounded like an actual emergency, but I still said no. I told her I no longer wanted to be involved in changing her schedule because she had used my name without asking.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Another coworker ended up covering, but Claire called me petty and said I was punishing her child for something unrelated. She also pointed out that she apologized for the first incident, which is technically true, although the apology was mostly "sorry you took it that way."
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Our manager later told me I was allowed to decline but said he was surprised I didnt make an exception for a school emergency. Now the office feels awkward, and I keep wondering whether I let my anger from the first situation affect a completely different one.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • I still think using my name to get permission was manipulative, but saying no yesterday didn't really teach her anything. It just made someone else stay late and left me looking like I was keeping score.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Coworkers navigate an awkward office dynamic after a disagreement over shift coverage and professional boundaries.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    Coworkers navigate an awkward office dynamic after a disagreement over shift coverage and professional boundaries.

    Image is a representation of the people and events described.

  • To my surprise, the Redditors shifted the focus, and instead of claiming that the coworker did wrong, they were shocked by the manager's response: how the man was not willing to respect the worker's workload and time, and demanded that she cover it since it wasn't a lot more for her.

  • PushCertain3596 No you did good standing up for yourself. The fact that she lied makes wonder if she's telling the truth about reasons for leaving early
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Puffin Town It's really inappropriate for your manager to say that. If the company prioritizes family emergencies, the company needs to make concessions, not ask for extra, free work from other staff.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • poopbutt42069yeehaw Uhhh, are you getting more pay for this? Is she still getting full pay while you do her work and she leaves early? NTA, don't let people like her take advantage of you.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Vegetable_Road8143 She's used your name before, what makes you think the son/school was real? Maybe she had the hair appointment she had to cancel. It's hard to regain trust from a collogue. They don't give a sh about you and will LIE to get what they want. She should be going to the boss person first. Let him see all the days she's asking to leave early.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • EmergencyShit Why does your boss expect YOU to make an exception for Claire's child? Why not another coworker or the boss himself?
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • A workplace conversation turns tense after one employee discovers a coworker used their name without permission to leave early.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    A workplace conversation turns tense after one employee discovers a coworker used their name without permission to leave early.

    Image is for illustrative purposes only.

  • Merkaba_Crystal Plot twist, she doesn't have a son.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • Humblefreindly Asking a coworker to take up the slack for a hair appointment is bizarre. I'd be wondering if the school pickup emergency wasn't for a manicure.
    via Gh0stC4dence
  • thatphotogurl So she booked a hair appointment during work hours?? Yeah, I wouldn't do her ANY favors. NTB.
    via Gh0stC4dence

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