A Boss Is Upset That His Employee Won't Be At His 'Beck And Call' After Getting A Second Job To Be Able To Make Ends Meet
Some bosses are unsympathetic to their employees' needs, even when they need to make ends meet.
everydayplus / Getty Images via Canva; Krakenimages.com, ShotPrime Studio / Shutterstock In a world where financial demands often force the average worker to juggle multiple jobs, one person grappled with an unsympathetic boss. Having taken up a second job at a large retail store to supplement their income, the worker experienced a change of heart from their boss.
The bone of contention had nothing to do with the worker's performance; rather, it was with their reduced availability for the boss's whims. They shared the experience on Reddit's "r/antiwork," a subreddit described as a place "for those who want to end work... and want personal help with their own jobs/work-related struggles."
The boss was upset the employee wouldn't be at his 'beck and call' after getting a second job.
After securing a second job, the moment of relief was short-lived. Having paid off lingering debts and ensuring their vehicle's upkeep with the first paycheck from their second job, they were finally having a weight lifted.
This boss, who had previously offered encouraging words and even provided a reference for the second job, had since shifted his stance.
Photo: Reddit
"Last week, he got upset," they wrote. Their employer's irritation started from a seemingly benign question: "Will you still come in if we need a shift covered?" The worker's response, bound by a part-time contract of a mere 10 hours per week, was simple and straightforward.
"No, probably not," they responded. The boss became upset, even though he was encouraging them to get a second job prior — and the employee only works 10 hours every week.
"He seemed pissed that I suddenly was not at his beck and call," the worker wrote. The boss expressed this resentment with a blunt statement: "We expect you to be flexible."
To this, the worker retorted, "I was. For a year, but you didn't give me enough hours."
Even after the interaction, the worker was fuming over the lack of consideration from their boss. In addition to that, he hired another employee who the poster deemed a "casual" to cover the shifts they wouldn't be able to work any longer.
"I'm unreasonably annoyed by this. I[t] just pushed my buttons. They just hired a casual too," they wrote.
Many people echoed similar experiences with their own bosses.
"Had a boss just like this when I was out of high school and got a second job at a gas station because my hours were cut," one person wrote.
The memory of their old boss's bellowing — "You work for ME" — still resonated with them, even as they remembered the fate of that boss's business. "The retail company went bankrupt a few years later," they added.
Photo: Reddit
Another individual shared their encounter with a manager who harbored resentment towards their pursuit of higher education. "He actually asked me if I was going to school because I was mad at someone," they wrote.
A manager tried to squeeze availability out of a schedule already bursting at the seams. "Super annoying," they concluded.
Among the many comments, one statement rang particularly true, encapsulating the underlying issue. "He just wants full control over you," one person wrote.
This sentiment, shared by many others, reflected a harsh reality faced by countless workers across various industries: some bosses are unsympathetic to their employees' needs, even when they need to make ends meet.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.