Boss asked me to work Saturday

[pink_sugar]

So, not surprisingly , since I helped out my work last Halloween, my boss asked me on Monday via email if I can help him from 1-6 this Sat. Last year, I was given a few weeks notice and I happened to be free at the time since my husband worked evenings and it fell on a weekday.

 

However, this time, it was shorter notice and I already had plans with family that only visits once a year. What irked me was though it wasn't required, he was very insistent with the "I could really use your help". I sent him back a message saying I normally would, but I have plans that day already with out of town relatives. (I work M-F, so Sats are highly unusual workdays) I normally have a very full schedule as my husband and I share a car and both work M-F. We almost always have weekend plans.

 

I am helping out at an event next Saturday, so I don't feel obligated to do this, especially since they go out of their way to act like they pay me soo well and my experience is overlooked quite often. They basically treat me and my position like entry level, which often irks me as I only make $21k. I might feel a little differently if I was paid well and had benefits, but since over the past year a lot of promises did not come through and I am pursuing other options, I just don't feel I owe them anything, yet I hate the guilt trip my boss makes me feel by how insistent he was needing my help...as if 4-5 days notice meant I couldn't possibly have other plans.

 

He is a nice guy, but it does irk me that he is very last minute with not only work assignments on a regular basis, but requests as well. I feel like telling him that I would more likely be available to help out if he gave a few weeks notice like another manager did last year.

Edited October 29, 2015 by a LoveShack.org Moderator
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[rester]

I feel like telling him that I would more likely be available to help out if he gave a few weeks notice like another manager did last year.

 

I think saying something like this would be completely reasonable, but it would make more sense if you said it at the time of the request. It also depends on how you say it. You don't want to say it in a nasty way, but in a way that shows you are open to helping out when you can, but that sometimes you have family obligations that you can't change.

 

In this specific case, I would do my best to not let him take control of your guilty emotions. Sometimes people ask things to see what they can get away with. All you did was assert your boundaries with him and let him know that you are not going to drop your family for a last-minute voluntary request for help. If he's really, really in a pinch, and there is some flexibility with your family schedule, it might help to compromise a little, but remember the saying, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

[Rejected Rosebud]

He is a nice guy, but it does irk me that he is very last minute with not only work assignments on a regular basis, but requests as well. I feel like telling him that I would more likely be available to help out if he gave a few weeks notice like another manager did last year.

I think that is reasonable but that you should leave OUT the part about the other manager last year. You don't want to seem on the attack right??

[pink_sugar]

I think that is reasonable but that you should leave OUT the part about the other manager last year. You don't want to seem on the attack right??

 

Oh no, I definitely wouldn't say that. I think going forward if he does something like this again, I will tell him that I would be happy to help with a few weeks notice so I can plan my schedule accordingly.