Hi everyone, I just started working as a PA, and I don't have a previous experience of working as one. But I signed a contract with 9 to 6 working hours, specifically requesting my boss to erase Saturdays off the contract as a working day as I am not comfortable with that. I want 2 days off. She said oh we can erase it but I would still need you on Saturdays once or twice a month. I said alright no worries…
Fastforward to this weekend and she has not provided me with a work simcard, like stated in the contract, so I had to make all calls at my expense using my own personal number and my own personal email. Granted she is just opening up her business, but still. I am pretty pissed about that.
On some days I ended up coming home at 11 pm because we only finished at 10 pm. I ended up working on Saturday and part of Sunday, I had to switch off my phone completely for an hour because I was getting bombarded by work calls and her calls and messages, even though I politely told her that I will get back to work stuff during my working hours. I am terrible at setting boundaries and I am a people pleaser, that's why I am already resenting her because I know she is taking advantage of that and I hate myself for working on such terms.
She wants me to do the impossible by Monday, which would mean I have to work on this all weekend, and I am not fine with that. Her birthday is in a few days and she wants everything done, I am talking major construction work and coordination with lots of different companies and departments etc done before that which will not be done, I can guarantee it. And she has bombarded me with tons of personal stuff like picking out a mattress which is something I am not sure I can do…
But in total in less than a week she has outlined over 40 tasks. Now, my question is this normal? I definitely don't want and can't work like that. And the pay is barely enough to cover my bills, that's all.