Boss says I have to work tonight or will face disciplinary.

[Partygal]

Some of my colleagues are on here so have name changed.

I work in a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year job. Everyone has to take their turn at doing the shit shifts.

As I was off over Christmas last year, I willingly took my turn to work and did Christmas and Boxing Day. It suited me as I am going to a party tonight that I have been looking forward to a lot.

My colleague who was supposed to be working tonight sent me a text earlier today saying he can’t work tonight due to illness!!! (Yeah right!) He went on to say he was just giving me the heads up to block the manager’s number.

I thanked him and said no way was I working because I’ve done my time in work over Christmas.

Anyway my boss rang up as predicted - using someone else’s phone. She first asked why everyone seemed to have blocked her number, and asked if my colleague had already told me that he wasn’t going to work that night. I denied it.

She went on to say what I already knew that he won’t be at work tonight. I told her that I would not be covering. She says no one else she has managed to speak to, can get child care at such short notice and nor can she. According to her, “it has to be me.”

I still said no. She said she would try everyone else again, and threatened me with “consequences” if I turn my phone off. She has come back and has again said she can’t find anyone else to work. She says I will face a disciplinary if I don’t go in. I told her to go fuck herself. She has been texting repeatedly every since and has just told me that I will be fired for this.

Can she do this?

Bloody hell this is odd!
I wouldn't go in either, childcare is as much of an excuse as a party. Like others said I may have said I am miles away.... not great that you swore at each other.

Whether she can prove you swore at her or not, is immaterial.

The fact is, you swore at your boss, and she sent an expletive in her text to you - which indicates that the relationship is not healthy.

If I was ringing up a colleague, and I wanted to inquire about their availability, I would not expect to be cursed at, no matter how unfair my request.

Don't swear at people if you want to keep your job, or get recommended for another one.

Fucking stupid to tell her to go fuck herself!

To be honest it sounds like the sort of place i be quickly getting out of anyway so it doesnt really matter what you said. Stand your ground.

I can't believe people are frothing so much at a swear word. Perhaps it's a regional thing.

The manager sounds like an absolute cow.

Poster's saying the OP is a gem are focusing on the wrong things in my opinion. The manager threatened to FIRE HER because OP doesn't have children!! Completely unacceptable behaviour and while I wouldn't tell her to fuck herself I'd certainly be thinking it.

OP you need to tell her you're somewhere else. Visiting family in Scotland / England / Ireland / Wales.

And yes I agree with you OP, she has no proof you swore at her so..... she can fuck herself. She's the manager, it's her responsibility. She'll need to find a babysitter or perhaps, I don't know, a little radical but she could ask the father of her child.

Good winter she said “Don’t be such a fucking cow, I can’t get anyone else to do it.”

She can prove it if she recorded the call. My DH does it all the time when he talks to customer service people.

Have managed to speak to union rep. She says to keep the texts and that she has my back. She can’t prove I swore at her, and I have been told to deny that I did.

The whole atmosphere sounds very toxic to me. I would feel very uncomfortable lying outright during a disciplinary hearing.

Yes, you should either have made out you were in a remote place/abroad with no way of getting to work (then of course make sure she didn't spot you tonight) or told her that you wanted (a lot of) extra money.

Under no circumstances swear at your boss. If you don't/can't get fired now, there'll definitely be grounds found in the future, especially by an unprofessional person like your manager.

That's why I'm self-employed. I don't have to deal with these kind of idiots.

Don't go in, she can't make you. They should have adequate cover planned in case of illness, and it will be your other colleague in trouble if he's faking.
Do you have a HR dept?
Do NOT swear at your boss, or another colleague.EVER.
Deny that you did if you have to and she shouldn't be harrassing you- she;s needs a favour and it sounds as if she's burned her bridges if this is the way she talks to staff.

Yeah telling your boss to go fuck herself isn't great but there's no proof as opposed to the boss' swear words being via text so I think people are putting a bit too much emphasis on this.

Sorry OP it's shit and I hope it won't ruin your night. I bet you're wishing you just didn't pick up your phone !

I’m not saying what I do, but people swearing at each other is all part of the daily routine :0)

she said “Don’t be such a fucking cow, I can’t get anyone else to do it.”

Switch your phone off for the rest of the day.

Raise a grievance, formally, as soon as you are officially back at work.

She can prove it if she recorded the call. My DH does it all the time when he talks to customer service people.

Unless she had gained OPs permission to record the call it cannot be used. And keeping it or sharing it would break GDPR regulations.

It won’t ruin my night because I’m not going in. No point about lying where I am, my boss knows my NY plans very well.

I'd be putting in an official complaint about her behaviour if that were me. In writing. With no swear words.

I would not cover a shift on new years eve at short notice. I'd Christmas off I'm on tonight and tomorrow if my head was hanging off I wouldn't call in sick. Your colleague is a dick.
But I think all sense of injustice was lost when you swore.

Telling her to go fuck herself in response to being called a fucking cow is fair, albeit unwise and a long way from the moral high ground. I wouldn’t go to work until you are next scheduled to do so. You may be disciplined for your abusive language, but hopefully her text will save you.

You could absolutely have the moral high ground here if you hadn’t sworn at her. As it is, this has gone from a very clear cut case of high handed management overstepping the mark to a ‘she said/no I didn’t squabble’. I pity the poor clients the two of you are meant to be working with.

I agree you need to be looking for a new job. It sounds very badly run and telling your manager to fuck herself is not going to make for a good working environment for anyone involved.

Is she working tonight? If not, surely the solution is that she goes in and covers the shift?

OP just text her and say "I will not come to work, especially after being called a Fucking cow. You Are welcome to discipline me but you will Also be disciplined for calling me a fucking cow (text) - up to you. "

She's the manager, the buck ends with her with the shifts, not you.

I was in senior retail management for 15 years, you are fine on this one. She's an idiot for using the F word in text quite frankly and as a manager should know better.

Don't go in - way too late notice and totally unreasonable. This may not apply if you
Work for a nuclear power plant / Emergency
Room Etc etc as your contract may
Differ.

I'm guessing you work in a hotel.
Just don't respond. If a shift is short then it's her responsibility

*13Partygal

I’m not saying what I do, but people swearing at each other is all part of the daily routine*

Nice. Ladies and gentlemen these are the kinds of people we look forward to nursing us when we are old and vulnerable

Tell her you've already had a drink and aren't fit for work.

If I was your boss and didn’t fire you for not helping out when needed or telling me to go fuck myself, I sure as hell would be finding another reason to sack you ASAP.