Perhaps this may not be the best sub to post this in given the title (I want an objective opinion), but here it goes anyway.
I work retail in a summer tourist town (though its open all year). From the moment I was hired last summer to now, I have worked every single Saturday+Sunday apart from my wedding/honeymoon and Christmas.
My partner got a new job and couldn't accommodate to my schedule anymore so I asked for at least one weekend day off every week. To my surprise, my boss gave me every weekend off for the entirety of May (probably because of all the summer student hires).
The dilemma: my coworker decided last minute (2 weeks ago) that she is going on vacation this weekend. She was able to get others to cover every shift except Sunday. Now shes asking if I can cover Sunday because no one else can (the bosses are on vacation so they cannot cover, we have no manager). My issue is that after nearly a year, I FINALLY have weekends off and the very first weekend I have off, she asks me to take her shift. If I take on this shift, I will basically be saying to the bosses that I can still work weekends. However if I don't take this shift, I feel like it may have a similar effect – the bosses will schedule me at least one weekend day in the future since I wasn't nice enough to cover. For the record, I have no 'plans' that day. I simply want to enjoy my weekend with my husband gardening or canoeing or whatever we feel like that day.
I know many will say “just say no”…as my husband has been saying but I feel so bad because I LIKE this coworker (she's going on her vacation regardless, but it will leave another coworker working alone). But if I take this shift, I feel that it will send a message to the bosses that I can work weekends.