Criticised at work for colleague saying I was going on annual leave

[plowpe]

I work in an office environment. I was very busy.

I was packing up to leave and had an email at 6pm to me and a colleague asking for help with something urgent. Colleague was not in the office, I was. Colleague emailed saying she could help in the morning as I was going on annual leave the next day.

I spent an hour or so on the task but colleague assured me she would deal with it in the morning, so I handed over to her. I needed to finish another task due and I needed to travel home (1hr) and pack my bags for a long haul trip that I had to leave the house at 6am for.

Get back from holiday and have been pulled up for my “poor attitude to work” and “trying to escape work set”. I’m sorry but the manager knew I was on annual leave the next day and I’m sick of being expected to drop everything to assist when they have no idea what other deadlines I might have.

YANBU

Sorry, this is chat not AIBU. But anyway - you're not being unreasonable at all and if this is typical of the way you're treated I would be looking for another job.

YANBU. What recourse do you have?

Wow I'd be looking for another job that's an extremely unhealthy attitude to work from your employer

YANBU

I put on my out of office though half an hour before I finish for holidays. So anyone emailing would have got that.

I’d already been working super long hours all week, and the Sunday I had allotted to pack my bags for holidays.

You know in toxic work cultures, the more you give, the more you expect. People either learn to keep their heads below the parapet and avoid attracting attention while they do as little as possible, or they try to help and end up being dumped on.

To me, you have two choices. Either tell them you are unhappy with the conversation, or look for another job.

The more *they expect.

They are wrong but what can you do about it?

I'd be having a face to face meeting with my manager, you're not obliged to drop everything and do overtime for a job unless it's stipulated in your contract, which is pretty unlikely. Sounds like they don't realise the other colleague was going to help the following day so did they not, or did they just decide to try to get you in trouble? I'd be fuming

Surely your colleague sorted out whatever needed doing, and if the email had been sent the following day when you weren’t in they’d have picked it up entirely?

What did you say in this meeting? They sound insane!

OP, sounds like you need to redraw the boundaries of your job.

I had a shit week a few back. I’m always helping others, training others, doing things my manager should be doing and the other week I was literally thrown under a bus by my company regarding my contract. When this happened my colleagues gave me zero fuchs for my upset.

So, things are going to be different now. I’ll do MY job only. I won’t be training or helping anyone I don’t have to. My manager can step up and do their job and not subcontract it out. I’ll do my job well, but that’s it. I’ll give no Fuchs.

Look closely at what you are doing and realign.