I have a corporate job, and in my small company everything is always on fire.
I get called in after 5 PM and on weekends regularly to discuss the latest (imagined) emergency. I never show up on weekends, that doesn’t stop the hints. This last Sunday my boss messaged me to say he’s be working and to let him know “if I needed anything…” as if I’d need something on a Sunday…the hint was not subtle but I held my ground on connecting Monday.
The worst part is when something is an “emergency,” lots of people get roped in including other managers and leaders, and the chances of me being undermined and overruled go up considerably. It’s unthinkable that I’d simply be left in peace and trusted to do my job.
The current faux-mergency was created by the response to a previous faux-mergency that wasn’t well-received by our client—the irony seems to be lost on my leadership.
I am not anti-work, I just want
1) Work to happen DURING WORK HOURS ONLY.
2) Work efforts to be intentionally low stress, not framing everything as an emergency in an attempt to “motivate” the team.
3) To be empowered to do my job and not constantly undermined.
Why is this too much to ask?