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My manager actually said "your personal life shouldn't interfere with your availability" after I declined a last minute Saturday shift
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The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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This grocery store worker had established their availability when they were hired and had it approved, something that is usual in types of shift-work roles that rely on a rotating schedule. The pay was low, but the ability to set hours around other commitments made the jobs appealing, where other commitments necessitate this sort of flexibility.
However, their availability was for weekdays only, something that is difficult to get approved for where there are weekend shifts, which are less desirable. Even if you manage to get yourself marked unavailable on the weekends, eventually, whether it be due to turnover in staff or actual complaints from other staff members about it being "unfair," eventually, some manager is going to come calling, looking to make you take up weekend shifts.
Lo and behold, the first for them to work a weekend shift came late on a Friday evening, which led to their "commitment" being called into question.
Really, the best thing that they could have done here was not to open the door to late-night communication. By responding even once, they have set the expectation in their boss's mind that future messages WILL be seen and thus must be replied to, or else they are being intentionally ignored. This is a slippery slope to go down, an eroding boundary that won't lead to anything positive. You might think that you're working your way toward that promotion. Instead, your inability to escape your work will slowly lead you closer and closer toward burnout.
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The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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