To think my boss is taking the piss?

[poodlesquish]

Boss has announced that she expects me to dial into a conference call whilst I'm on annual leave next week.

Apparently this is because 'she won't have time to become well versed in the matter' despite the fact that she's been involved in all discussions on the matter so far and the call is next Friday- over a week away.

I will be 5 hours away visiting my mum who is recovering from major surgery, but 'it's only an hour in the morning'. It won't be though, I'll have to have a pre-call with internal colleagues before we join the call with external people, and then will probably have to send follow-up emails.

I wasn't even invited to the bloody call, she was, she's just decided she can't be arsed and so is fobbing it off on me.

Ffs. I can't really refuse, but AIBU that I shouldn't be expected to do this?

You can refuse. But you need to put on your big girl pants and tell her.

Yanbu. You are on annual leave. She will have to cope.

Of course you can refuse. If you don't them you only have yourself to blame.
just remind her that you are on leave and therefore will obviously not be available to cover her conference call. No discussion.

You can certainly refuse. You're on annual leave which I assume she has approved.

If you do end up dialling into the call, make sure you get a half day's pay for it at the very least.

Yes you are totaly correct shes a lazy cow!

You should refuse to call in. What would she rxpect if you were in another country. Its a total pisstake

If your worried say you won't be in place with internet/phone signal and thus physically can't do it.

I don't think you should attempt any excuses about why you can't. It's unacceptable for her to expect you to.

YANBU to say no, but as someone else said, if you decide that you will do it make sure that you get at least a half day back onto your annual leave.

You don't need to do it. My employer always wanted to know where you'd be on annual leave in case they wanted you back. I always said I was cycling in the Alps with no phone signal

If you do end up dialling into the call, make sure you get a half day's pay for it at the very least.
I'd ask for a whole days pay, as it will break your holiday up.

I think it depends on what your job is.

For some people, this will be an expected part of their job; they can take leave from the office but not necessarily the job, depending on what comes up. I once went on holiday with a trader/hedge fund manager/ something like that and vividly remember being at the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere with him yammering into his blackberry messing around with the markets. But he got the salary to make that a reasonable expectation. Similarly, I can be called into work at any time (though if I'm not in the area they won't make me) because I get subsidised housing from the school in return for theoretical 24/7 duty (boarding school).

But for other jobs this would be a completely unreasonable demand that nobody ever has to do and is not reflected in their terms and conditions.

It isn't clear from your post which this is.

I'd do it to save a while days annual leave if I was going to be at my mums home.

I wouldn't do it if I would be in hospital with her.

If you are visiting someone in hospital you won't be allowed to use your mobile for a conference call anyway. Unless it's a really life-or-death matter, just say you are on leave and therefore not available.

Dh's employer did this annually (happy memories of being sat in a service station by the side of a French motorway with two toddlers for an hour and 45min whilst he "attended a meeting" ). For us the answer has been to ensure all holiday destinations are out of reach of a mobile signal. Agree with the above, if you do it make them credit you for half a day.

Being really sneaky you can agree, then say that on the morning you had no signal but it takes guts to do it Good Luck with that!

Lets just take a minute to realise that sometimes refusing can mean lots of hassle and recriminations including losing a job, so whilst the OP should definitely not be treated this way and ideally would tell the boss to fuck off, in reality it isn't always as easy as all that.

i hope you can you can tell her to fuck off poodlesquish

As PP posters have said this is subjective and is entirely related to the job role. I work flexibly from home, am on holiday this week but at home and I've been answering my phone if its people I've been trying to get hold of for a while. However, I will claim the hours back and take them back at a time when is mutually convenient ( Christmas!) this works well for both of us.

But in this case, if it doesn't help your job role and is your boss being lazy, then i think you need to say. Sorry I'm on annual leave as I'm not available to take the call.

If someone tried to harass or bully me out of a job for refusing to do a con call whilst I was on leave, they'd end up paying me a settlement or seeing me in tribunal.

What Foster says. Politely remind your boss that 'I'm on annual leave all that week, so this won't be possible.'

Put on a blank polite face and repeat in a neutral tone of voice as necessary.

If she threatens, shouts, hints at repercussions, go to HR.

Settlements and tribunals won't help if you've been employed for less than 2 years.