We got a new manager at my facility about 4 or 5 months ago. Before she came we worked Monday-Thursday, 6-430, occasionally fridays when asked at least a month in advance. When January rolls around, she tells us we all need to put in our vacation days for the year, and that no two people can be off at the same time. Everyone made a fuss but eventually we gave in, my team all lives each other and we saw it as a small change.
Mid February, word starts going around about there being new docs that will be working every Friday. We pull our 40 hrs in those 4 days, when we all start asking her about it she won’t tell us outright. Eventually we have a meeting and she tells us that Fridays will ONLY be voluntary, and that if we have something we need to do on those days we can sort some things out and make it work. Everyone fusses again, the big reason everyone works there (besides the amazing staff and drs we already work with) were having Fridays off. She tells my team that she would fill people in on the online schedule, but we could figure out who works what Friday between our selves. Eventually we all obviously have to give in. In a meeting we had with my team, when I told her basically our options suck, she says “well, you always have another option”, alluding to quitting and finding another job. People start quitting left and right, because consistent Fridays were never in our job description.
It comes time for us to sign up for the April Fridays. I have to take a friend to surgery on the 7th and an orientation for school on the 21st. I sign up for the remaining Fridays I can work, but I notice on the ones I can’t work, no one that works my position has filled the remaining spot. I signed up for what I could like she said, and go about my day.
She pulled me into her office this afternoon and told me I needed to sign up for the 7th, she had already put my name down on the schedule online, and my coworker had scheduled off that day (she scheduled off back in Jan, when none of this Friday stuff was known) I tell her I can’t, I’m taking my friend to her surgery, I’ve already committed to that knowing and BEING TOLD Fridays are voluntary. She tells me I need to put my name down and we’ll count it as a sick day. I say… No, I won’t be to blame why everyone is behind, and I have things I’ve already committed to. She keeps repeating herself, and eventually starts getting angry and says “Okay, I’ll take your name off, but from here on out you need to plan like you’re working every Friday”. I sarcastically thanked her for communicating and kept repeating “that works” while walking out of her office.
Am I in the wrong, is any of this even legal? If I was told I can still use Fridays for what I need, why should I have to put my name down and take the fall when I’m telling you in the moment what I can’t do?