Imagine having a job you like and want to keep. If your boss expected you to work unpaid overtime, would you do it in order to make your boss happy, or would you risk job security and refuse?

In this story, one woman is in this exact situation. She has been working overtime for free for awhile, and she’s finally over it. However, she’s not sure if saying “no” was the right thing to do.

Let’s read all about it.

AITA for telling my boss I won’t work unpaid overtime anymore?

I (26F) work as a junior manager at a small company.

Lately, the workload has been insane because we’re understaffed, and my boss keeps “asking” me to stay late to finish projects.

I’ve been working 2-3 extra hours most evenings, but here’s the kicker—none of this overtime is paid. It’s not in my contract, and it’s not even being logged.

She is sick of working overtime.

At first, I thought it was temporary, so I sucked it up.

But now it’s become the norm, and my boss acts like it’s expected.

Last week, I hit my breaking point after staying late every day and missing dinner plans with friends I hadn’t seen in months.

The next day, when my boss told me, “I’ll need you to stay late again—no excuses.”

She stood up for herself.

I finally said, “I’m sorry, but I won’t work unpaid overtime anymore. I’m happy to get everything done during my work hours, but my time outside of that is my own.”

My boss looked shocked and accused me of being “uncommitted” and not a “team player.”

A couple of coworkers said I should’ve kept quiet to avoid rocking the boat, but I’m tired of being taken advantage of.

Now, I feel conflicted. I don’t want to lose my job, but I also don’t think it’s fair to work for free. AITA for finally standing up for myself?

Her boss was taking advantage of her. She should not be expected to work overtime especially if she’s not being paid for it.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

Here’s some advice.

Apparently, there’s a name for this business model.

This is a good question.

She should get it in writing.

You should never feel bad about standing up for yourself.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.