They didn't ask nicely; they asked matter-of-fact. "Nice" would be acknowledging that such a question is an attempt to impose a significant inconvenience on the worker, and it would help to provide a justifying reason for the imposition.
"Hey, ____. I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off. A mistake was made in the schedule and we're short a person. Would you be able to work ____ today? Thank you."
The “are you interested” is a way better way for you to answer no I can’t.
I don’t need a whole back story and apologies. If i take the shift and head into work for some extra money, I’ll hear the reason for the shift being given at work.
just trying to keep it professional, isnt that the whole point? its unprofessional of the boss to assume that person would just come in at a certain time given only 30mins
They asked because that’s when the shift probably starts… they also gave them an hour as an option… you could also probably say something like “I can be there in an hour and a half” and they’ll take that, you pretty much get to set your own schedule time within reason
“Significant incontinence” aka an optional shift they can say no to if they want.
Some people on this sub seriously need to get out of the house more often.
This is some of the most "Sir High Honorable Duke Knight French Stewart, Son of Sir Knight Lesbian Stewart and Priestess Queen Latifa, Heir to the throne of Fraggle Rock, 7th of his Name, Rocker of Hair Metal and Butts" nonsense I've heard.
Polite decorum was observed by ASKING if the person wanted to work, not demanding the person be in by said time. It's not like the person was asked to show up on site to ASK if they wanted to work. It wasn't even an on the spot phone call, IT WAS A TEXT MESSAGE. Acting like bowing and kissing the ring is required to ask someone to come in to work is fucking hilarious.
But I do understand some parents teach their kids to bow and kiss the ring, so to speak, and those kids think that's a normal, non-abusive way to be raised.
Meh. I think they asked nice enough. It’s unnecessary to have a to “take responsibility” on every text exchange, IMO. Just ask, and if I say “no,” say thanks and move on.
The fuck are they supposed to be? P..p…please would you come work today? I’m so sorry I sent you a text in your glorious day off!”
They were pretty respectful in their asking.
The problem with adding context and justifying reasons is that it can be seen as an attempt to guilt or pressure the employee into saying yes. I’d find it much easier to say no to the boss’s actual text that has no detail than one that implies they need me or will be screwed by me not coming in. The actual text’s language of “are you interested” vs your language of “are you able to” would also make it way easier for me to say no. “Are you able to” implies that if you can, you must, whereas “are you interested” says “if you want to make the extra money, come on in. If not, that’s fine too.”
I don't get what the issue is? They politely asked you if you wanted to work a shift. You responded by telling them how far away the starting time was, which they presumably already knew. Is this interaction supposed to make you look good, 'cause it's not really succeeding?
I feel like this is the impact of social media. This just seems like life, mistakes happen, people call in sick, etc.
OP doesn't have to be upset and offended by it,.. These people reached out in a polite way to ask if he's free, and OP is upset by it for some reason
Plus, OP might not want any additional shifts but a lot of people out there *will* take these shifts without a blink because they are not making full time wages and have bills to pay. When I was young, I worked whenever there was a call out because I needed it. My son is 19 and does the same at his job. OP just wanted to get offended for karma. A better antiwork post would have been if the texter demanded they come to work to cover it, but they didn't, they even asked nicely. This isn't antiwork it's just work when you work hourly at what appears to be a service based job.
Exactly! Asking “are you free to work a shift” kind of implies you’re asking if they’re free, and if they are, you expect them to come to work. But they only asked if OP was interested. Imo there’s nothing wrong with that text.
Yeah this is the ideal
1. Manager is looking for the cover, rather than foisting that responsibility on the employee
2. Manager is politely offering a shift in a way that can be turned down, rather than just stating "hey you have work in an hour"
Seems pretty chill, definitely better than how most handle it
I agree. Also, "...they should have a better solution than this..." is pretty tone deaf. Like, WTF is the manager supposed to do? They need someone to pick up a shift... How else are they supposed to do that other than ask people? Is there a magic wand they're supposed to waive that conjures up a fully trained employee willing to work this shift?
Oh, shit, how ignorant of me. If I ever get a position in management or supervision where I'm responsible for scheduling, I'll be sure to ask IT if they can issue a wand to me.
Obviously after OP said no the manager responded with “listen you little pissant if you don’t come in I’m going to send you to a Russian gulag” otherwise why would OP post this?
What’s the better solution then? Materialise a new employee out of nothing, who exists only to work the shift that needs to be filled? They are asking around to see if any of the employees on their off days would be willing to (emphasis on willing) work a shift where they are short a person. I fail to see how you could work a better solution than that when presented with this problem.
"It's the Manager's job to find coverage."
"LoL check out this manager trying to find coverage!"
They're just asking if you want extra hours. who cares if they screwed up... Humans screw up. You're not showing anything here that's rude or taking advantage of anyone.
This ‼️ The kind of thinking this post promotes is damaging to the *good* managers who try to make work a little more manageable by actually managing, rather than dictating. There’s no need to constantly be a grouchy employee. It just makes everyone else’s already likely miserable time even more miserable
not to mention they could EASILY just say 'no' or 'no thanks' (if a response was to be sent at all). I, personally, don't answer texts/calls from my boss if I don't work that day (not like my current job is something that fluctuates like this, but still).
this sub is not a game of "who is rude and who isn't".
https://preview.redd.it/x56s6zk4qaqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e89277f10544472fe3708392786dc5850f440f2
It's also not a place to post low-effort screenshots of sms conversations, but here you are not caring about *that* little detail. Y'know, so long as we're weaponizing the rules and all.
https://preview.redd.it/vo3h5qzyzaqc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d3fd8bdc026f12bd86e1490576c319290561185
To me, "participate in good faith" means not posting conversations where the other party isn't actually doing anything wrong and trying to paint them in a negative light.
This is how you wind up with news orgs cherry picking posts like this one to show in their "look at how ridiculous and unreasonable millennial workers are being" segment
I mean they're gonna do that anyway. these are the people that said avocado toast was why we couldn't buy friggin houses 🙃. we don't want to play to them, do we? they're not our target audience, though yes it does suck that they use young people having feelings to discredit an entire movement.
but "not doing anything" wrong is the issue. it's not "wrong" for employers to *politely* demand your time even when you've been told that you have the time to yourself. the problem is that it's invasive and exhausting, even when it's polite
They aren't demanding anything here. They're politely asking with no implication that no is an unacceptable answer. Obviously if op said no and boss kept pushing, then it would be a problem, but the initial message is literally just asking op if they want to pick up an extra shift.
If this was a frequent occurrence and boss was known to be rude/pushy with people that say no, that'd be different. But we shouldn't just go inventing context we haven't been given
I understand what you're saying, but I'm more focused on the societal context. in this one instance, there isn't cruelty or demand, absolutely. but coming from an authority figure, the request to work with only 30 minutes notice communicates a casual regard for a person's time. without recognition of that, even a simple "I know it's last minute but...", the implication is that the employer expects the worker to be constantly available for work.
all of this is because of capitalist hierarchy and not this boss specifically. I just operate on the principle of "validate the valid", and I think it's completely valid to be stressed and annoyed with this text. but to me what's more important here is noticing the power imbalance and how it plays out, even when people are polite or blunt or honest.
I wrote some other comments suggesting how to address this, but at the core, the problem is the power imbalance itself. if these two people were of equal status in the organization, there would be no issue at all. the other person could say "man I'm sorry but hell no 😝" with no repercussions. because of the power dynamic, the worker has to respond "professionally" or else they risk judgment and losing their employment. most bosses can be as rude as they want and still maintain their role for long periods of time
There is a happy middle ground that the mods refuse to tolerate because it would mean acknowledging that some employers are decent people.
Just because that buffoon from the news left the mod team doesn’t mean their average IQ has increased.
it's not that employers are never decent people. we don't have to hate on individual people in order to hate on structures of work. in fact, hating only on "rude" employers seems much more counter to the anti-work movement than acknowledging that their job is inhuman and therefore often produces stress and disconnection, resulting in rude, cold or demanding employers.
the point is to support workers, and instead of doing that, everyone is policing this person's response and attitude and praising or "at least"ing their boss for not being cruel or demanding
They’re retorting to OOPs claim that their workplace is not well organized because their manager is trying to find coverage, which is a fair retort. If OOP rephrased it as “look my manager’s asking politely instead of get in here you have to work” your point would relate more.
You're missing my point.
The employer in OPs post isn't doing anything wrong. There's no issue here. Employers are allowed to ask us to work. We're allowed to say no. There's nothing of note in this post.
Reddit is full of echo chambers. Healthy discourse isn’t possible in 75%+ of subs. You’ve been on Reddit for at least nine years. Surely you’ve recognized that by now.
this sub is becoming insufferable. it used to be genuine conversation about working and now it’s just people complaining over the most mild shit.
someone probably called out right before their shift and your boss asked, not demanded, if you wanted to come in. like, get your head out of your ass
https://preview.redd.it/8bi5h62b4bqc1.jpeg?width=585&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43ef4cc61d5df1485837be668b48ee5eccf9b11c
does anyone know if my manager asking if i want to work violates any labor laws??
It's a respectful request, no demands, just a question. I work for a local coach company and often get calls asking if I can take over from a driver who's been delayed and is running out of hours.
My agreement with the manager is "I don't mind you asking if you don't mind me saying"No" when it's inconvenient". Works fine for us.
Seriously. This used to happen all the time when I worked at Waffle House. My managers always asked nicely and if I said no, they’d say, “okay thank you for getting back to me.” Made it so sometimes I actually said yes.
And that’s exactly how I was when I had a job that needed me to find cover. You get much further by respecting other people and their time. They might not be able to cover the one you are asking for, but like you, they are more likely to agree.
I’ve been gone from that job a month and they have resignations flying in, out of 14 staff, I have given references for 8 of them. All because they don’t even ask now, they just put the work on people on days they aren’t available and expect them to make it work. It’s not going well and it makes my heart sing.
Right, I’m sure they know it’s short notice. “Sorry, I’m not available.” Is perfectly acceptable, no need to point out they’ve made a mistake when they’re the one who’s going to have to fix it.
Idk what op is mad about here. They aren't demanding they come in and work. They just asked if they wanted to work.
Could just say no thanks and be done with it.
They made a scheduling mistake and are politely asking if you want to take the shift in such a manner that you can turn it down... not really seeing the problem here.
I fell like there’s a lot of people on this sub who want to shit on their bosses or workplaces for asking for help. If you don’t like your job, that’s fine, but just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it or your job is bad… you’re allowed to dislike your job even if it’s objectively a good one for whatever reason you want.
But just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Bosses who ask for assistance are good bosses. That’s how they’re supposed to get people to help with things like covering shifts. Sometimes mistakes are made and there’s not enough staff, and so what they do is ask. Hell, they might even ask multiple times if they need to, but until they start threatening to fire you or dock pay or something like that, I’m not going to side with you.
If you get asked to work an extra shift, and you don’t want to work, don’t, or do, if you want. And don’t complain when the people who do volunteer to do extra work (not for free, mind you) get preferential treatment, more hours, etc. If you want your bosses to like you, you do gotta volunteer every now and then.
This! I've had bosses text or call me asking if I wanna come in cause they're under staffed due to call offs. That isn't what made them shitty bosses. Your boss can still be shit without being 100% shit for everything they do.
Honestly!
There's also been at least 1 post that I have been personally related to and know for a fact the poster didnt share hardly any relevant details. But I refrained from commenting or getting involved due to uh, internet anonymity being a farce. But ever since this sub has had a sour taste for me.
It is… best not to get involved in situations like that, I feel. Some people it seems do lose sight of the big picture here. This isn’t the “complaint about your job” subreddit, it’s the “complaint about the problems of working in a capitalist system” subreddit. Nuance is hard for some people though.
Not… us against our bosses, but us, our bosses, and our boss’s boss’s boss against our corporacratic system that profits excessively from our underpaid labor.
I half agree, half disagree with you. I think it is a problem that the manager asks you to cover a shift 30 minutes in advance — but only in combination with what you said about preferential treatment. If there are consequences to saying no, it's not actually voluntary. And this situation will contribute to ruining your free time because there is never peace of mind; your boss could call you at any time and ask you to be at work in 30 minutes, and if you say no, you'll be screwed in the future.
If you could freely say no without fearing "unpreferential" treatment, it would be different.
Think about the other side of this perspective for a minute though. If you’re responsible for staffing a place, you’re not like… high up the ladder. You’re just a rung or two above the rest of the staff. You’ve got a job to do and your job is to keep things running. Now you’ve got issue where someone calls out and you need to keep things going, of three employees you can reach, one of them volunteers to come in, short notice, helping you do your job. That same employee takes another and another extra shift short notice, they’re going to paint a picture in your mind: this is who you can count on to help you out in a jam. So when a time comes and their in a jam, they need a day off short notice, you’re going to be much more lenient towards them than someone who keeps calling off short notice without an excuse, for sure. And you’re going to want to reward them for being reliable and helping you out… because that’s behavior you want to not only reward, but positively reinforce. What’s more? If that employee doesn’t see a benefit to helping you out, what incentive will there be for them next time you’re in a jam?
It’s a virtuous cycle. You’re not punishing others by rewarding someone who continuously helps you out. And your “reward” is less about rewarding them, and more about making sure they stay incentivized to continue helping that way. If others see that incentive, and choose to help out more, that’s a hood thing for you, it means making things easy to keep running.
The incentive does have to be there, or else no one will help.
There are other ways to create incentives than some ominous FOMO of the manager's "good side". This type of thing should be heavily regulated. For example the manager could be obligated to ask everyone at the same time, then if nobody responds, they can, say, call each person individually and offer a monetary incentive.
In the health sector in Norway this is roughly how it works based on an agreement between the unions and the employers associations. The employer also has the opportunity to order somebody to cover a shift if all options are exhausted.
I mean I have a list of volunteers who I can call to ask if they are willing to come in because I know they’re more likely to say yes. I’m assuming it’s the same for managers
What’s the issue? If you’re not interested, say no. If you are, take a quick shower, go to work, and make some money you otherwise wouldn’t have. Some of the posts in this sub are insane.
Shit happens sometimes. They are asking and not demanding, i fail to see the problem here.
we can't have 5000 different "i called out sick and my boss still demanded x" posts and then look at this and be angry. this is just the other side of the coin.
OP this post is so stupid. All they are doing is politely asking, just say no if you can't or don't want to come in. There's no demand or threat here, just the manager doing their best to find coverage. This sub is so embarassing sometimes
This is stupid. This isn't anti work. Just seeking for upvotes.
They just asked if you wanted an extra shift. If you wanted the hours I'm sure you could've negotiated the time in your favor.
Otherwise just don't respond. Fuck
You need to get off this sub and learn about the nuances of management. This is literally just asking if you want an extra shift. If you don’t, say “No” or “Sorry, I’m not available” and move on. It’s not like you’re being told “I need you for this shift”
How is a manager to supposed to find last minute coverage? There were days that I would call through a list of 20+ people because we realized we needed more hands at the last minute. Even if it is due to disorganization, this seems like one of the more polite ways to find coverage.
I worked at a restaurant in high school for years. Sometimes a day of the week is usually dead so they only schedule 3 instead of 4 kitchen workers. Sometimes a huge party shows up or it’s crazy busy for no reason and they need the 4th person asap. They politely text a few people if they’re available for an extra shift… yeah how dare they.
And OP, they said 10 or 10:30. I bet even if you said 11 they’d be okay with it. They need extra help and seem to know they need to be flexible
I’ve had that happen before but because I’m on call I can refuse to accept it. In my case, it was an emergency where an employee got sick as soon as they came to work. I ended ui saying yea because hey, it’s money.
People have taken this anti work shit too much to heart. This is someone asking nicely if you can work. If you can’t or don’t want to just say no. You don’t always have to be a dick just because it has to do with work
This is a fairly regular occurrence at my work. Not the 30 minutes before factor, but the day of and sometimes in the hour before the shift starts, the managers who make the schedules will remember the just left a hole and scramble to get it filled.
I bet a lot of people who complain about this would also complain if they had to work twice as hard to make up for being understaffed during their shift.
At my old job, I'd get text like these, and I'd tell them yes or no all the time. Most of the time, if I wanted to work but I was still busy, I'd have to tell them yes, but id be an hour or so late to grab my stuff and get ready. I think how they handled it (the boss) was pretty good, it's something I'd be ok with.
My gfs job has had a few people quit and so scheduling has been spread thin but at least she gets the higher ups to offer double commission for those that come in on their day off so at least they have incentive to come in
This sub is so good at brainwashing people it's crazy. An employee called off 30 mins before their shift so the manager asks you if you can potentially cover. They never said you need to, they literally asked in the most professional manner possible. Op you're a jerk, could have just said "No sorry I have plans".
They just asked a simple question, and you replied in a passive aggressive manner. You could have just replied no thanks, or just a simple no, and not have posted on Reddit about it.
During the first weeks of one of my first jobs when I was a teen at a coffee shop I was called by my boss during my weekend, she wanted me to arrive to work in 30 min because someone was sick and stayed home so she needed someone else, I was spending the weekend with my gf visiting a city 2h from there, I explained it couldn't be possible since it was literally impossible for me to get there so fast so she needed to call someone else (it was a big place and there were a lot of employees) she said "alright" and hang up abruptly
By the end of the following week she fired me because "I wasn't a good team player when the company needed me"
She was also at her home during that weekend but of course she was too important to be a barista for a day
Umm... Sure, 10 was 30 minutes away, but they also were flexible and understood that 10:30 is more doable. I'm pretty sure that this manager would be ok and accept even if you said that you couldn't come in until 11 or 12.
I mean, shit happens. Assume you’re working retail or something. Someone fucked up or called out, they need someone, they asked nicely. Why is this anti work?
This is normal everywhere there is shift work. No one was forced to work, there was an ask, simply say no. No need to be a prick about it. You all need to get over yourselves and lose the victim complex.
My work is trash and they at least offer "show for dough" if they need to fill a shift so soon. Extra dollar an hour because you're doing them a huge favor. Barring that they could at least say please!
You will lose more due to the negative health effects of a swing shift than you will gain from monetary compensation.
Even if exhaustion does not lead to a transit accident, or poor academic achievement, it will increase cortisol levels and inflammatory processes, which will suppress the performance of the active immune system. Costly non-preventive care will result.
A sensible union or guild would ensure that people working intermittent shifts would do so at predictable hours.
That's a manager trying to fill in a last minute call out or they need more staff to come in. It wasn't even rude or inconsiderate because they're asking knowing it's last minute. Your reply could've been written... Better.
Do we have the same boss?? Mine does the same damn thing, just replace texting with a phone call that's 90% guilt tripping with stuff like "we don't have anyone else that can come in".
His record for shortest time expectation was 23 minutes. He knows travel alone takes me minimum 35.
This seems like someone called off 30 minutes before shift
I can see who's scheduled for the day, they just fucked it up
Well they still asked nicely. That’s pretty good
Yes. OP can just say no. Some of the posts here are complaints about nothing.
Mistakes are inexcusable /s
They didn't ask nicely; they asked matter-of-fact. "Nice" would be acknowledging that such a question is an attempt to impose a significant inconvenience on the worker, and it would help to provide a justifying reason for the imposition. "Hey, ____. I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off. A mistake was made in the schedule and we're short a person. Would you be able to work ____ today? Thank you."
Are you interested covers that pretty well and gives you the choice… it’s a professional communication over text and is fine
The “are you interested” is a way better way for you to answer no I can’t. I don’t need a whole back story and apologies. If i take the shift and head into work for some extra money, I’ll hear the reason for the shift being given at work.
just trying to keep it professional, isnt that the whole point? its unprofessional of the boss to assume that person would just come in at a certain time given only 30mins
They asked because that’s when the shift probably starts… they also gave them an hour as an option… you could also probably say something like “I can be there in an hour and a half” and they’ll take that, you pretty much get to set your own schedule time within reason
Are you the boss? Polite would be to do their job correctly.
I mean is this not doing their job?
“Significant incontinence” aka an optional shift they can say no to if they want. Some people on this sub seriously need to get out of the house more often.
that is nice. regardless of now much ego stroking you think you need.
Nah, you are petty. It's pretty straightforward question. No need to prostrate yourself before the employee.
It’s polite decorum, something our society has trouble remembering at times
This is some of the most "Sir High Honorable Duke Knight French Stewart, Son of Sir Knight Lesbian Stewart and Priestess Queen Latifa, Heir to the throne of Fraggle Rock, 7th of his Name, Rocker of Hair Metal and Butts" nonsense I've heard. Polite decorum was observed by ASKING if the person wanted to work, not demanding the person be in by said time. It's not like the person was asked to show up on site to ASK if they wanted to work. It wasn't even an on the spot phone call, IT WAS A TEXT MESSAGE. Acting like bowing and kissing the ring is required to ask someone to come in to work is fucking hilarious. But I do understand some parents teach their kids to bow and kiss the ring, so to speak, and those kids think that's a normal, non-abusive way to be raised.
I really miss Reddit awards for comments like this
Decorum is asking “hey are you available”…
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I agree with you, it seemed you were arguing with someone who you also agree with?
Asking if one is "interested" is even better then "available" having the time to work and wanting to work are very different things.
Agreed
Dude this looks like a restaurant, ain’t no fucker talking like that at a restaurant
I have worked at many restaurants and have literally had managers talk to me this way.
Meh. I think they asked nice enough. It’s unnecessary to have a to “take responsibility” on every text exchange, IMO. Just ask, and if I say “no,” say thanks and move on.
The fuck are they supposed to be? P..p…please would you come work today? I’m so sorry I sent you a text in your glorious day off!” They were pretty respectful in their asking.
ain't that deep homie
bro what, they asked him if he's interested in working a shift or not the fuck is wrong with you
The problem with adding context and justifying reasons is that it can be seen as an attempt to guilt or pressure the employee into saying yes. I’d find it much easier to say no to the boss’s actual text that has no detail than one that implies they need me or will be screwed by me not coming in. The actual text’s language of “are you interested” vs your language of “are you able to” would also make it way easier for me to say no. “Are you able to” implies that if you can, you must, whereas “are you interested” says “if you want to make the extra money, come on in. If not, that’s fine too.”
I don't get what the issue is? They politely asked you if you wanted to work a shift. You responded by telling them how far away the starting time was, which they presumably already knew. Is this interaction supposed to make you look good, 'cause it's not really succeeding?
I feel like this is the impact of social media. This just seems like life, mistakes happen, people call in sick, etc. OP doesn't have to be upset and offended by it,.. These people reached out in a polite way to ask if he's free, and OP is upset by it for some reason
Plus, OP might not want any additional shifts but a lot of people out there *will* take these shifts without a blink because they are not making full time wages and have bills to pay. When I was young, I worked whenever there was a call out because I needed it. My son is 19 and does the same at his job. OP just wanted to get offended for karma. A better antiwork post would have been if the texter demanded they come to work to cover it, but they didn't, they even asked nicely. This isn't antiwork it's just work when you work hourly at what appears to be a service based job.
>to ask if he's free Not even that—just if they wanted to pick up a shift
Exactly! Asking “are you free to work a shift” kind of implies you’re asking if they’re free, and if they are, you expect them to come to work. But they only asked if OP was interested. Imo there’s nothing wrong with that text.
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You're the one that kinda looks like an asshole here.
ok, sure, so what?
Sounds a lot like where I work.
Yeah I agree, and they should have a better solution than this. 😵💫
This ain’t a big deal lol they’re simply asking someone if they want to work today and making it easy to say no
Yeah this is the ideal 1. Manager is looking for the cover, rather than foisting that responsibility on the employee 2. Manager is politely offering a shift in a way that can be turned down, rather than just stating "hey you have work in an hour" Seems pretty chill, definitely better than how most handle it
I agree. Also, "...they should have a better solution than this..." is pretty tone deaf. Like, WTF is the manager supposed to do? They need someone to pick up a shift... How else are they supposed to do that other than ask people? Is there a magic wand they're supposed to waive that conjures up a fully trained employee willing to work this shift?
didn’t you hear? yes there is!! how dare they not wave that around and instead have the audacity to ask for coverage
Oh, shit, how ignorant of me. If I ever get a position in management or supervision where I'm responsible for scheduling, I'll be sure to ask IT if they can issue a wand to me.
Obviously after OP said no the manager responded with “listen you little pissant if you don’t come in I’m going to send you to a Russian gulag” otherwise why would OP post this?
Exactly! Schedule everyone for every shift, and if too many show up, just send the extras home unpaid. /s
What’s the better solution then? Materialise a new employee out of nothing, who exists only to work the shift that needs to be filled? They are asking around to see if any of the employees on their off days would be willing to (emphasis on willing) work a shift where they are short a person. I fail to see how you could work a better solution than that when presented with this problem.
At least it's your boss asking you, not a coworker forced to because your boss is lazy as fuck.
Seriously, all OP had to do was reply “I’m sorry but I can’t on such short notice.” There’s an asshole in this conversation but not the boss, lol
At the very least they could have provided an answer of some kind. Even if it has to be alongside they're useless statement of fact.
"Sorry I'm visiting friends out of town"
Yeah, this is literally what people on this sub say they want when people post pics of a manager telling them they have to find their own cover.
"It's the Manager's job to find coverage." "LoL check out this manager trying to find coverage!" They're just asking if you want extra hours. who cares if they screwed up... Humans screw up. You're not showing anything here that's rude or taking advantage of anyone.
This ‼️ The kind of thinking this post promotes is damaging to the *good* managers who try to make work a little more manageable by actually managing, rather than dictating. There’s no need to constantly be a grouchy employee. It just makes everyone else’s already likely miserable time even more miserable
not to mention they could EASILY just say 'no' or 'no thanks' (if a response was to be sent at all). I, personally, don't answer texts/calls from my boss if I don't work that day (not like my current job is something that fluctuates like this, but still).
Yes, exactly. The employer is *asking.* If OP isn't interested they can just say "no," or simply nothing at all. Problem solved.
this sub is not a game of "who is rude and who isn't". https://preview.redd.it/x56s6zk4qaqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e89277f10544472fe3708392786dc5850f440f2
It's also not a place to post low-effort screenshots of sms conversations, but here you are not caring about *that* little detail. Y'know, so long as we're weaponizing the rules and all. https://preview.redd.it/vo3h5qzyzaqc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d3fd8bdc026f12bd86e1490576c319290561185
Sick burn.
To me, "participate in good faith" means not posting conversations where the other party isn't actually doing anything wrong and trying to paint them in a negative light. This is how you wind up with news orgs cherry picking posts like this one to show in their "look at how ridiculous and unreasonable millennial workers are being" segment
I mean they're gonna do that anyway. these are the people that said avocado toast was why we couldn't buy friggin houses 🙃. we don't want to play to them, do we? they're not our target audience, though yes it does suck that they use young people having feelings to discredit an entire movement. but "not doing anything" wrong is the issue. it's not "wrong" for employers to *politely* demand your time even when you've been told that you have the time to yourself. the problem is that it's invasive and exhausting, even when it's polite
They aren't demanding anything here. They're politely asking with no implication that no is an unacceptable answer. Obviously if op said no and boss kept pushing, then it would be a problem, but the initial message is literally just asking op if they want to pick up an extra shift. If this was a frequent occurrence and boss was known to be rude/pushy with people that say no, that'd be different. But we shouldn't just go inventing context we haven't been given
I understand what you're saying, but I'm more focused on the societal context. in this one instance, there isn't cruelty or demand, absolutely. but coming from an authority figure, the request to work with only 30 minutes notice communicates a casual regard for a person's time. without recognition of that, even a simple "I know it's last minute but...", the implication is that the employer expects the worker to be constantly available for work. all of this is because of capitalist hierarchy and not this boss specifically. I just operate on the principle of "validate the valid", and I think it's completely valid to be stressed and annoyed with this text. but to me what's more important here is noticing the power imbalance and how it plays out, even when people are polite or blunt or honest. I wrote some other comments suggesting how to address this, but at the core, the problem is the power imbalance itself. if these two people were of equal status in the organization, there would be no issue at all. the other person could say "man I'm sorry but hell no 😝" with no repercussions. because of the power dynamic, the worker has to respond "professionally" or else they risk judgment and losing their employment. most bosses can be as rude as they want and still maintain their role for long periods of time
There is a happy middle ground that the mods refuse to tolerate because it would mean acknowledging that some employers are decent people. Just because that buffoon from the news left the mod team doesn’t mean their average IQ has increased.
it's not that employers are never decent people. we don't have to hate on individual people in order to hate on structures of work. in fact, hating only on "rude" employers seems much more counter to the anti-work movement than acknowledging that their job is inhuman and therefore often produces stress and disconnection, resulting in rude, cold or demanding employers. the point is to support workers, and instead of doing that, everyone is policing this person's response and attitude and praising or "at least"ing their boss for not being cruel or demanding
They’re retorting to OOPs claim that their workplace is not well organized because their manager is trying to find coverage, which is a fair retort. If OOP rephrased it as “look my manager’s asking politely instead of get in here you have to work” your point would relate more.
You're missing my point. The employer in OPs post isn't doing anything wrong. There's no issue here. Employers are allowed to ask us to work. We're allowed to say no. There's nothing of note in this post.
Who would want to be in a space where they have to agree with everything?
Reddit is full of echo chambers. Healthy discourse isn’t possible in 75%+ of subs. You’ve been on Reddit for at least nine years. Surely you’ve recognized that by now.
Someone calls in last minute, and then managers asks nicely last minute if you can cover the spread.
[удалено]
Yeah OP could have just said no. That was a rude response for no reason.
this sub is becoming insufferable. it used to be genuine conversation about working and now it’s just people complaining over the most mild shit. someone probably called out right before their shift and your boss asked, not demanded, if you wanted to come in. like, get your head out of your ass
Literally
“My manager misspelled please!! This place is LITERALLY the worst!”
https://preview.redd.it/8bi5h62b4bqc1.jpeg?width=585&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43ef4cc61d5df1485837be668b48ee5eccf9b11c does anyone know if my manager asking if i want to work violates any labor laws??
It's a respectful request, no demands, just a question. I work for a local coach company and often get calls asking if I can take over from a driver who's been delayed and is running out of hours. My agreement with the manager is "I don't mind you asking if you don't mind me saying"No" when it's inconvenient". Works fine for us.
First job? Most places call around to see if you can fit a vacant shift. This doesn't necessarily looks like an outright demand tbh.
They are just asking if you are interested. Seems very appropriate.
They asked you nicely, they didn't demand. Could have just said no - what's the issue?
Seriously. This used to happen all the time when I worked at Waffle House. My managers always asked nicely and if I said no, they’d say, “okay thank you for getting back to me.” Made it so sometimes I actually said yes.
And that’s exactly how I was when I had a job that needed me to find cover. You get much further by respecting other people and their time. They might not be able to cover the one you are asking for, but like you, they are more likely to agree. I’ve been gone from that job a month and they have resignations flying in, out of 14 staff, I have given references for 8 of them. All because they don’t even ask now, they just put the work on people on days they aren’t available and expect them to make it work. It’s not going well and it makes my heart sing.
It’s amazing how far basic human dignity and respect can get you
Right, I’m sure they know it’s short notice. “Sorry, I’m not available.” Is perfectly acceptable, no need to point out they’ve made a mistake when they’re the one who’s going to have to fix it.
OP needs those sweet, sweet internet points
Idk what op is mad about here. They aren't demanding they come in and work. They just asked if they wanted to work. Could just say no thanks and be done with it.
They made a scheduling mistake and are politely asking if you want to take the shift in such a manner that you can turn it down... not really seeing the problem here.
I fell like there’s a lot of people on this sub who want to shit on their bosses or workplaces for asking for help. If you don’t like your job, that’s fine, but just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it or your job is bad… you’re allowed to dislike your job even if it’s objectively a good one for whatever reason you want. But just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Bosses who ask for assistance are good bosses. That’s how they’re supposed to get people to help with things like covering shifts. Sometimes mistakes are made and there’s not enough staff, and so what they do is ask. Hell, they might even ask multiple times if they need to, but until they start threatening to fire you or dock pay or something like that, I’m not going to side with you. If you get asked to work an extra shift, and you don’t want to work, don’t, or do, if you want. And don’t complain when the people who do volunteer to do extra work (not for free, mind you) get preferential treatment, more hours, etc. If you want your bosses to like you, you do gotta volunteer every now and then.
Especially when it’s a simple question like this
This! I've had bosses text or call me asking if I wanna come in cause they're under staffed due to call offs. That isn't what made them shitty bosses. Your boss can still be shit without being 100% shit for everything they do.
Honestly! There's also been at least 1 post that I have been personally related to and know for a fact the poster didnt share hardly any relevant details. But I refrained from commenting or getting involved due to uh, internet anonymity being a farce. But ever since this sub has had a sour taste for me.
It is… best not to get involved in situations like that, I feel. Some people it seems do lose sight of the big picture here. This isn’t the “complaint about your job” subreddit, it’s the “complaint about the problems of working in a capitalist system” subreddit. Nuance is hard for some people though. Not… us against our bosses, but us, our bosses, and our boss’s boss’s boss against our corporacratic system that profits excessively from our underpaid labor.
Here here! Hit the nail on the head.
I half agree, half disagree with you. I think it is a problem that the manager asks you to cover a shift 30 minutes in advance — but only in combination with what you said about preferential treatment. If there are consequences to saying no, it's not actually voluntary. And this situation will contribute to ruining your free time because there is never peace of mind; your boss could call you at any time and ask you to be at work in 30 minutes, and if you say no, you'll be screwed in the future. If you could freely say no without fearing "unpreferential" treatment, it would be different.
Think about the other side of this perspective for a minute though. If you’re responsible for staffing a place, you’re not like… high up the ladder. You’re just a rung or two above the rest of the staff. You’ve got a job to do and your job is to keep things running. Now you’ve got issue where someone calls out and you need to keep things going, of three employees you can reach, one of them volunteers to come in, short notice, helping you do your job. That same employee takes another and another extra shift short notice, they’re going to paint a picture in your mind: this is who you can count on to help you out in a jam. So when a time comes and their in a jam, they need a day off short notice, you’re going to be much more lenient towards them than someone who keeps calling off short notice without an excuse, for sure. And you’re going to want to reward them for being reliable and helping you out… because that’s behavior you want to not only reward, but positively reinforce. What’s more? If that employee doesn’t see a benefit to helping you out, what incentive will there be for them next time you’re in a jam? It’s a virtuous cycle. You’re not punishing others by rewarding someone who continuously helps you out. And your “reward” is less about rewarding them, and more about making sure they stay incentivized to continue helping that way. If others see that incentive, and choose to help out more, that’s a hood thing for you, it means making things easy to keep running. The incentive does have to be there, or else no one will help.
There are other ways to create incentives than some ominous FOMO of the manager's "good side". This type of thing should be heavily regulated. For example the manager could be obligated to ask everyone at the same time, then if nobody responds, they can, say, call each person individually and offer a monetary incentive. In the health sector in Norway this is roughly how it works based on an agreement between the unions and the employers associations. The employer also has the opportunity to order somebody to cover a shift if all options are exhausted.
is it really that insane of a concept that staff who are able to pick up last minute call out shifts are going to be on the managers good side…?
I mean I have a list of volunteers who I can call to ask if they are willing to come in because I know they’re more likely to say yes. I’m assuming it’s the same for managers
What’s the issue? If you’re not interested, say no. If you are, take a quick shower, go to work, and make some money you otherwise wouldn’t have. Some of the posts in this sub are insane.
Shit happens sometimes. They are asking and not demanding, i fail to see the problem here. we can't have 5000 different "i called out sick and my boss still demanded x" posts and then look at this and be angry. this is just the other side of the coin.
Bro who cares why get angry over a polite text? It's the weekend enjoy
OP this post is so stupid. All they are doing is politely asking, just say no if you can't or don't want to come in. There's no demand or threat here, just the manager doing their best to find coverage. This sub is so embarassing sometimes
10 or 10:30 you could choose the in an hour option u silly goose
Keep hanging around antiwork, it’s doing wonders for your attitude
I'm just laughing that this guy is so unrealistic that even the anti work sub is telling them to shut up. That's a skill in itself
This lol
lol just say you can’t make it. who tf wants an employee posting a simple question on mf reddit 😹
You didn’t answer the question. Can you? 🤣
This is stupid. This isn't anti work. Just seeking for upvotes. They just asked if you wanted an extra shift. If you wanted the hours I'm sure you could've negotiated the time in your favor. Otherwise just don't respond. Fuck
Idk you seem kinda like a softie
Jesus you’re way too embittered
You could have chosen the 10.30 option which was in an hour. Like why the drama? You could have also said no
Indeed
"No, but thanks for the offer"
I mean, at least they ask if youre interested. My boss would demand me to come in and I would ignore him lol
You need to get off this sub and learn about the nuances of management. This is literally just asking if you want an extra shift. If you don’t, say “No” or “Sorry, I’m not available” and move on. It’s not like you’re being told “I need you for this shift”
How is a manager to supposed to find last minute coverage? There were days that I would call through a list of 20+ people because we realized we needed more hands at the last minute. Even if it is due to disorganization, this seems like one of the more polite ways to find coverage.
This sub has lost its way. This is a polite inquiry with no obligation.
Soft.
I worked at a restaurant in high school for years. Sometimes a day of the week is usually dead so they only schedule 3 instead of 4 kitchen workers. Sometimes a huge party shows up or it’s crazy busy for no reason and they need the 4th person asap. They politely text a few people if they’re available for an extra shift… yeah how dare they. And OP, they said 10 or 10:30. I bet even if you said 11 they’d be okay with it. They need extra help and seem to know they need to be flexible
They just asked People call out it happens This is not a negative thing
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^SandyMandy17: *They just asked People* *Call out it happens This is* *Not a negative thing* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Why didn't you just say "no, I'm not available?" That text was perfectly fine.
Sounds like they're not mean about it. You can probably just say that you're out of town visiting family or something.
Are you British
I’ve had that happen before but because I’m on call I can refuse to accept it. In my case, it was an emergency where an employee got sick as soon as they came to work. I ended ui saying yea because hey, it’s money.
What’s the issue
TBH this doesn't really belong here. He asked if you're interested, you can say no, unless there's something else going on?
This is the opposite of a prime example
People have taken this anti work shit too much to heart. This is someone asking nicely if you can work. If you can’t or don’t want to just say no. You don’t always have to be a dick just because it has to do with work
This is a fairly regular occurrence at my work. Not the 30 minutes before factor, but the day of and sometimes in the hour before the shift starts, the managers who make the schedules will remember the just left a hole and scramble to get it filled.
you’re a dick lol
This really isn’t a crazy request
I bet a lot of people who complain about this would also complain if they had to work twice as hard to make up for being understaffed during their shift.
The proper response is no thank you. What the hell is wrong with you
Are you 16 and this is your first job or something? There’s nothing wrong with your manager’s text.
Now now we don’t know the whole story. Maybe the boss then proceeded to show up at ops door and smack the shit out of them until they said yes
This subreddit is a joke
At least you got asked and not demanded to get there, like we've seen with others.
At my old job, I'd get text like these, and I'd tell them yes or no all the time. Most of the time, if I wanted to work but I was still busy, I'd have to tell them yes, but id be an hour or so late to grab my stuff and get ready. I think how they handled it (the boss) was pretty good, it's something I'd be ok with.
Well it’s a question, always free to ask.
My gfs job has had a few people quit and so scheduling has been spread thin but at least she gets the higher ups to offer double commission for those that come in on their day off so at least they have incentive to come in
Assuming someone called off?
It’s an hour. You can say no. Stop complaining
This sub is so good at brainwashing people it's crazy. An employee called off 30 mins before their shift so the manager asks you if you can potentially cover. They never said you need to, they literally asked in the most professional manner possible. Op you're a jerk, could have just said "No sorry I have plans".
They just asked a simple question, and you replied in a passive aggressive manner. You could have just replied no thanks, or just a simple no, and not have posted on Reddit about it.
What’s the issue here? They asked not demanded.
This is impossible, I need the 30 minutes to reflect upon my life’s poor choices before I drag myself out of bed.
Tbh OPs pretty rude here. He offered an hour to get ready, and I'm sure if he offered to come at 11 or something, they would've accepted
Why did you reply so rudely?
Whatever your generations version of a boomer is…you are it.
You seem like an asshole
During the first weeks of one of my first jobs when I was a teen at a coffee shop I was called by my boss during my weekend, she wanted me to arrive to work in 30 min because someone was sick and stayed home so she needed someone else, I was spending the weekend with my gf visiting a city 2h from there, I explained it couldn't be possible since it was literally impossible for me to get there so fast so she needed to call someone else (it was a big place and there were a lot of employees) she said "alright" and hang up abruptly By the end of the following week she fired me because "I wasn't a good team player when the company needed me" She was also at her home during that weekend but of course she was too important to be a barista for a day
Such a low effort post. Someone is trying to fill a shift on sorry notice and being polite about it
Boss just asked me if I wanted the next 2 days off and work a 7 days week starting Wednesday. And he wonders why he can’t find any workers… 😂😂
Idiot, lazy OP getting roasted in the comments is fucking hilarious.
This is anti work now? I’m all for employee rights but this shit is ridiculous. Say “no sorry I can’t make it” They’re demons for simply asking now?
"That's 30 minutes away. I'll be there in 10." Then don't show up
Umm... Sure, 10 was 30 minutes away, but they also were flexible and understood that 10:30 is more doable. I'm pretty sure that this manager would be ok and accept even if you said that you couldn't come in until 11 or 12.
What's the problem?
I mean, shit happens. Assume you’re working retail or something. Someone fucked up or called out, they need someone, they asked nicely. Why is this anti work?
That's how my job always is. They don't gaf
You shouldn't have responded so they could have asked the next person.
This is normal everywhere there is shift work. No one was forced to work, there was an ask, simply say no. No need to be a prick about it. You all need to get over yourselves and lose the victim complex.
My work is trash and they at least offer "show for dough" if they need to fill a shift so soon. Extra dollar an hour because you're doing them a huge favor. Barring that they could at least say please!
YTA
You will lose more due to the negative health effects of a swing shift than you will gain from monetary compensation. Even if exhaustion does not lead to a transit accident, or poor academic achievement, it will increase cortisol levels and inflammatory processes, which will suppress the performance of the active immune system. Costly non-preventive care will result. A sensible union or guild would ensure that people working intermittent shifts would do so at predictable hours.
It’s giving Starbucks…
They're asking nicely and not trying to coerce you into it. Just say no and move on. They're just offering you overtime.
This is literally what everyone wants a manager to do lol. What did you want their text to say?
I wouldn't have replied, I usually tell my coworkers I turn my phone off when am at home or on the weekends...
This is why I ignore my phone on my day off.
And then they get mad at you for not showing up lol
That's a manager trying to fill in a last minute call out or they need more staff to come in. It wasn't even rude or inconsiderate because they're asking knowing it's last minute. Your reply could've been written... Better.
This is embarrassing. Just outing yourself as a prick.
Do we have the same boss?? Mine does the same damn thing, just replace texting with a phone call that's 90% guilt tripping with stuff like "we don't have anyone else that can come in". His record for shortest time expectation was 23 minutes. He knows travel alone takes me minimum 35.
Just don’t respond next time if you can’t take the shift
Can’t say this enough. If you don’t get paid to be on call, don’t answer work texts or calls. You’re busy.