To keep refusing to cover other peoples shifts?!

[YourPunnyCat]

Hi all, looking for some advice/opinions as everybody I know in real life tells me to “just say no!” and that is so hard!!
Basically I work one day a week (Saturday) alongside my degree (mature student). Boss keeps asking me to cover on a Sunday for X/Y/Z person (it’s their birthday, they’re on holiday, they’re sick, you get the picture). It is the sort of role where we are freelance but I have a set location once a week that I work in and I am there consistently, have never had a day off except holidays booked months in advance.

I feel awful to keep saying no to covering shifts as my boss is lovely and we are struggling with a small, young team (who imho need to get their priorities straight!). It is the sort of role you need training for and we don’t have enough people fully trained yet to have cover staff. But also, it’s my weekend too! I just feel like I’m going to get a bad reputation for not “helping out”.

I dont understand why people can’t just work the shifts they’re assigned, we all work in our own location once or twice a week. It’s not hard to be someone once a week is it?? I work one day a week for a reason and if I wanted to work two I’d arrange it in advance.

AIBU for refusing to cover people? My motto is your lack of planning is not my emergency, but I feel so bad saying no and have agreed to cover someone in a few weeks time as I’ve said no to every other cover shift this year so far. Am I being harsh??

I’d put myself first on this situation and just say I’m not available on Sundays.

Your boss is paid to recruit and manage staff against the business needs, it’s not your job to cover how badly that’s being done (or not done as the case may be).
You either have a crap boss or work for a crap company - personally life is too short to tolerate either.

Keep saying no. You have no say in the hiring and firing of staff who don't seem very reliable so you shouldn't feel responsible when the business is short staffed because those employees are unreliable.

Most people are reasonable and happy to help in genuine emergencies but if the business is having a staffing crisis every week then they need to do something about it rather than rely on the good will of staff to fill the gap.

If you make it your problem it will never get sorted out.

I think it's fine - if you fancy doing a Sunday or need extra money then you can but if not just keep saying no when it comes up.

If you struggle in this scenario just say you’ve taken a different role on Sundays.

I’ve taken a few hours of regular work near home, I’ve taken a role tutoring or I’ve taken up a course etc.
Then when asked remind them ‘ohh I would have done but I’ve got X commited too - hope you get sorted’

If it suits you I'd agree to swap sat to sun as a one off for the "it's my birthday" type requests but it's a hard no to everything else.

You work one day for a reason so don't be guilted into more if it doesn't work for you

Edit - to clarify not because the birthday requests are more important but because of your concern is doing 2 days and having no weekend then that would be one way to offer to help

if you want to be helpful can you swap shifts so you still get a day off at the weekend?

I feel awful to keep saying no to covering shifts as my boss is lovely and we are struggling with a small, young team (who imho need to get their priorities straight

Sounds like where DP used to work. He kept a 2-4 days a month job in a bike shop alongside his self employment so he could keep the discount.

He was also very good at the job, able to fix bikes where others couldn't, really understood how to help the customers with technical issues etc and the agreement was that he'd never work both weekend days but he'd do one day most weekends so he was around when the shop was busy.

But the shop manager kept asking him to work more days at the weekends because the staff with more hours (who were generally students so were supposed to work in the holidays, a day every weekend and perhaps a day in the week) always wanted to go away for the weekend, go to a club night or festival, etc etc, basically didn't want to work when they were not at university and said they were available to work (and needed to work for money).

YANBU - I assume that everyone has a contract for a certain number of hours and they should work those hours. If they don't it's not your problem to solve.

YANBU - Its not like you're working a bunch of shifts every week, you're doing one shift on a set day - presumably for a reason.

Depending on what her job is, she may not be allowed to take another job on the Sunday. Probably just easier to say no, she isn’t available.

I would say I have other commitments on other days

Just say hi <manager name> just so you know in future, I am not available for any Sunday shift (or if this is more accurate any other shift except the Saturday shift I already do) I am just letting you know so it saves you wasting You’re time calling when the answer is always going to be no.

Been there and you’re absolutely doing the right thing. I was a student and strapped for cash only working over weekends and it ended up me agreeing to 14 hour shifts and then the night staff wouldn’t turn in or called in sick with half an hour’s notice and the manager wouldn’t do anything so I had to stay so people weren’t lone working.

I was a people pleaser through and through then until I realised the Micheal was being totally taken (manager worst of all by not addressing it) and one day lost my rag on like the 7th consecutive Sat night I’d stayed a few hours after my shift ended to sort cover so people could at least go to bed and get a bit of sleep before taking over. Soon as the usual suspect called I phoned the manager who pompously informed me “he was on annual leave and out of the business.”

”oh that must be a nice luxury, I’m leaving in an hour because my goodwill has been stretched far enough 😂”

The usual suspect didn’t even usually phone, he’d just not turn up weekly and nobody DID anything about it.

Manager in question had to come in fuming at 1am because I’d had enough and lost it at him, and he transferred shortly after. First thing the new manager did was sack the guy in question much to all of our relief after months of this.

Don’t let it get that far because you won’t get thanks and they will just come to expect it to bail them out!

'I'm so sorry XYZ, I'm not available on Sundays'. You don't need to give them any other details