I recently transferred departments at the university I work for, as I’m sure some of you remember from my posts about the low-ball offer I got (which luckily changed!). I started in the new department about 2 weeks ago.
Today I got an email from my former boss asking me to take on an event for them that’s a 5.5 hour drive away. She said she wouldn’t ask but “no one in the department is available” that day except the new hire who is starting 5 days before the event. She wanted to send me, along with my replacement, to the event.
My part of the trip would be completely financed by my department; lodging and meals would be the responsibility of my current office, but she expected me to appear as a representative from their department, not mine.
Obviously I said no, because I felt gross about it. Isn’t this wildly inappropriate, to ask me to work for them while being paid by another office?? And to not even ask my boss? That feels completely unethical, but maybe I’m wrong??