I was poached out of my last job for more money. Everyone told me more money means they own you all the time.
Well, I had this vaca planned in the mountains I told them prior to hiring.
It was approved and agreed as unpaid time off.
I do make a lot of money (6 figs) and I started a few weeks ago and have a 9 work days unpaid time off as condition of me working there.
Right before I left I was told I need to take over something that someone else was working on because they have unexpected time off.
I was not given any milestone deadlines at the time of leaving only the final deadline. I do not have a work phone or way to check emails only slack.
Didn’t bring laptop bc i have barely connection and will be in mountains most the time and also, it’s not even PTO im legit not being paid during this time. So I refuse to “work”.
I did not work overtime to get this done before I left since it wasn’t much notice. I started and planned to finish the day I return.
I got a text from the person I was taking over from freaking out that a deadline was given via email after I left and due for review during my time off as 9 work days is a long time. So I understand her stress but they will have to deal is what I thought and wait until my return.
Didn’t happen since all I have is a phone and no email to them..I explained before I left to remind folks I was out. Not my fault they didn’t take that in or remember. I do have out off office on email as well.
She feels that I dropped the ball on this and is complaining that I’m not meeting expectations and is disappointed it wasn’t completed before I left.
I am new so it was surprising I was even responsible for this being new as well as knowing I wasn’t going to be around.
I am now worried I will hear from my boss very negatively and has been stressing me out all vacation since I can’t even see if she emailed me.
I felt that just because I make good money for my experience doesn’t mean they own me when I am off. I work on PTO for emergencies but i felt strongly not working for free; but the teams complaining don’t know im not paid right now on time off so the expectation is different and the whole team thinks I missed this.
Not sure if I was wrong to not bring work laptop and do this while away but I feel guilt and stressed that I was set up to look bad. Now the first impression of me is that I dropped the ball.