I work a union job. It’s hourly. My manager has my personal phone number. They regularly text me outside of my scheduled work hours about work-related things. I usually don’t answer if I’m not at work. Today, they sent an email asking if those scheduled for a certain day were available to come in 1 hour early to fulfill a special request from a client. This extra hour is to be paid at 1 our overtime. This was 2 days before the day of the request. They then sent a text message to my personal phone to get me to check my email and respond.
Our union rules state that notice of a change in a scheduled work day has to be given in writing no less than 7 days in advance. I’m already not going to go. For one, I’m not a morning person. I don’t want to be at work any earlier than I have to be. Here’s the point of my post: I want to know if I’m alone in how I’m thinking about this. This manager is not respectful of our personal time or boundaries. They think the company owns my ass because they employ me. They thinks that we, the employees, should have a vested interest in the company’s day-to-day operations. I don’t give a shit about their operations though. I don’t care about this company any further than what I’m paid to care about it. On my days off, I’m not being paid. Therefore, I’m not doing any work for the company. This manager is the type that is constantly trying to manipulate us into doing extra for the company by making sure to tell us that we’re a family to get free labor out of us, but whenever we need something, their hands are tied.
Just on principle, I’m not answering “urgent”, last-minute messages from them on my days off. It smells like free labor to me. If I were to answer, it would feel like I’m telling them that it is appropriate to expect me to hop to what ever task they have in mind on my days off for free. I am also offended by employers thinking they have me by the balls because they think I’ll do anything they say because I can’t resist money. I don’t live for money. I value my peace over everything. Even overtime. This manager is thinking of this last minute request as a formality. Like, of course I’ll be dying to be at work longer than I have to for overtime ! Anyway, since I’m not answering the email on my days off, they’re not going to know that I’m not going to be there until I don’t show up, and I don’t care because it’s not my problem.