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?

As long as you didn't swear via text then she can't prove you did. And no, she can't fire you.

@DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn I presume OP has NC because she doesn't want her posting history available to any colleague who recognises her from the thread.

Yes. Obviously.

However, she's banging on about how her boss can't prove she told her to go fuck herself.

@Insideimsprinting I agree her job sounds very difficult.

No way would I answer a call from an employer over xmas whilst not expected to be working. They don't own you, you aren't their slave.
You could have gone away and be at the other end of the country.

I think you shouldn't have swore - and neither should she. I also think your boss (while illegal) cannot fire you, should could potentially make your work life now difficult.... and the fact she knows everyone blocked her tells her that this was set up (not by you) by the wider group - someone has obviously rang around telling you all to block her - which, lets be honest, is shit. Sorry your in this position, i personally dont think you should have to work, but equally i dont think you handled the situation the best.

youre ^^

I'm sure the manager gets paid more money as her responsibilities are greater. Can't find the staff, then it's the managers job to cover it. If she can't find childcare she shouldn't take on the responsibility in the first place.

Sneaky of her to use a different phone wasn’t it?

Well at least you didn’t swear on text. Your boss has handled all this really badly. It’s wrong to try and force people to work. I’ve just worked Xmas and Boxing Day, I’m off new year. If my boss rang telling me to work an unrostered shift tonight I’d say no, particularly if they shouted. If they rang offering treble time and extra days off in lieu I might think about it. The best thing you can do now is keep your head down and keep working. If your boss threatens you anymore I’d say that you’ve already taken advice from your union on this matter and will take any further threats or incidents seriously.

Your selfish colleague going sick has caused all this.

Haven't read the full thread OP but this is quite a unique situation and if your boss sees the thread and screen grabs it, you'll be identifiable even though you have name changed.

I had a manager like this. Care home. Always trying to bully staff to come in at very short notice. Was disinclined to get agency staff, as it was all about "profit for the shareholders" and 'service users' came before family emergencies. The same rule didn't apply to HER of course. She never covered shifts herself (12 hours) always left for 'meetings' at 2-3pm.

This woman harassed, threatened and verbally assaulted her employee. In my book she’s bloody lucky if all she got was told to go fuck herself!

Exactly. She was so unprofessional! It’s not surprising people block her number.

For people saying OP’s boss can screenshot this and use it as proof. Of course not. For all we know it could be OP’s boss posting this for proof or one of her colleagues or anyone!

Time to start drinking, OP.
Even if it's the cooking sherry crack it open and crack on. What a shame you're then over the limit and can't drive.

That sounds like a nightmare place to work with toxic staff (including OP) and a horrible manager

Your boss was way out of order. She can ask but she has to accept no for an answer which she obviously was not prepared to do especially when this is a favour and you have already worked Christmas.

The cursing in work would not be a big deal with me. My boss greets me most mornings by saying "fuck off cstaff" which I just laugh at and tell him to go fuck himself or some such.

Op as a business owner I wouldn’t have threatened to fire you for not covering a shift but I would be seriously considering firing you for telling me to go fuck myself, I would be livid if an employee thought they could talk to me in that way, at the very least you would be straight on a last warning and that would be me being generous, maybe you should cover this shift to try and save your job after what you’ve said to her.

As manager, the responsibility is hers and it will be her who faces repercussions if nobody goes in, not you.

If someone called me a fucking cow they'd be told to fuck off and probably more..boss or not...respect is earned...enjoy your night and dont give it a second thought

If she can't find childcare she shouldn't take on the responsibility in the first place.

This is not the issue, the manager, like others will find a way to manage their responsibilities with their life's demands or they wouldn't be doing the job. I manage as to others. The point is yes they are paid more to do this but generally who wants their staff to have some of the veiw points shown on this post.
Of course op isn't obliged to work neither are any of them it the way its managed by everyone. All you have to do is say no, sorry can't do it then leave the manager to deal with it behaving the way the ops team has is ridiculous and maybe even a little vindictive. The whole drama could have been avoided if employees called sick and left it at that, manager tries to replace cover. Other employees can't but keep it polite, professional but vague manager covers it herself. No issue. That has not happened here. Manager was probably stunned to hell at the effort taken to achieve what was going to be inevitable Anyway.

She needs to work not you. Managers have to take this responsibility

Isit but as a business owner would you have called the OP a fucking cow in the first place, which triggered the response? First fault lies with the manager here.

Manager needs to cover it themselves.
We've had similar at work.
24/7 job too. The buisiness owner came in after 4 hours of afternoon sleep and I gave him the low down, made him a bit of a cheat sheet and left him to it.

Isithometimeyet0987 OP's manager called her a fucking cow by text, so get off your high horse.

OP please stop answering your phone to unknown numbers. If it's important they'll text of leave a voicemail.