I started a job at a daycare center 2 weeks ago. Aside from the insane overtime everyone is forced to work, it doesn’t seem too bad. Pay is obviously shit (the overtime pay is nice), but I was tired of job hopping so I’m planning to stay here a while. Even with this recent incident with the manager….
There was supposedly this “Fall Festival” on Friday that lasted from when the center closed until 8:30. I guess it was for the families of the kids that went to the daycare to do some fall games and maybe recruit some new customers. I was told about this on Wednesday, 2 days before. I had someone coming to stay with me on Friday that I needed to go pick up on that day, which this was planned weeks in advance.
When I was informed I was supposed to work at this festival (keep in mind, they were asking me to be there from my start time at 7:30am to 8:30 pm on a Friday with 2 days of notice) I said to the Daycare Director “Oh, I’m sorry but I can’t do that. I have to go pick up someone who is staying the weekend with me.” To which she smiles and replies “Why can’t they just come to work with you??”
This seems really unprofessional to me. I stated my situation clearly and gave a definite “no” and she’s trying to convince me to bring my friend to a place she doesn’t know and hang out in a building full of screaming toddlers while I have to work? Wtf?? If this is mandatory just tell me that! Don’t try and manipulate me into roping my guest into my work, canceling our plans we’ve had for weeks for something I was only informed of 2 days in advance. Working 13 hours is bad enough, I’m not bringing someone else to just, chill at my work? That seems kinda inappropriate.
This is a MAJOR red flag on the directors part. I’m not leaving just because of this but I’m going to tread lightly and be prepared to lay some firm boundaries with this woman. Maybe she’ll make for more stories for me to post on here while I continue to look for jobs.