I've got a situation at work that's been gnawing at me for the past few weeks, and I could really use some advice.
A bit of background: I've been working at this small tech company for about a year now. It's a salaried position, and I was initially drawn to the job because of the flexible hours and the promise of a “work-life balance”. My boss, let's call him Mr. X, seemed pretty chill during the interview process, and the first few months were great.
However, things started to change a few months ago. Mr. X began sending me emails and Slack messages during the weekends and on my days off. At first, it was just the occasional “Hey, can you check this?” or “Quick question about this project.” I didn't mind too much, as I wanted to be a team player and show that I was dedicated.
But it quickly escalated. Now, almost every weekend, I'm getting tasks and “urgent” requests that he expects me to handle immediately. These aren't small tasks either; we're talking about hours of work. And the kicker? I'm not getting paid for any of this extra time. When I brought it up, Mr. X said that since I'm on a salary, I should be “flexible” and that this is just “part of the job.”
I've tried setting boundaries, like not replying to messages on my days off, but then I come into work on Monday to passive-aggressive comments about my “lack of commitment” and how I'm “letting the team down.” It's gotten to the point where I dread weekends because I know I'll be bombarded with work requests.
I'm feeling really trapped. I need this job, especially in the current job market, but the stress and anxiety are taking a toll on my mental health. I've started looking for other jobs, but I'm worried about leaving and then ending up in a similar situation elsewhere.
Has anyone else been in a situation like this? How did you handle it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
TL;DR: Boss expects me to work on my days off without extra pay. Tried setting boundaries, but it's led to passive-aggressive comments and increased stress. Need advice on what to do.