Accountability can get complicated when expectations were never clear to begin with.

So, what would you do if you accepted a job based on one set of expectations, but found that the reality was everything you’d requested not to deal with? Would you just stick it out to keep the job? Or would you feel management set you up to fail?

In the following story, one retail worker finds herself in this predicament and can’t help but feel wronged. Here’s what’s going on.

AITA for blaming my manager when I forgot to come to work?

So about 4 months ago, I started working at a retail store. The position was to be 30+ hours. I was offered the job (3 yr exp). I was told I’d be averaging about 20 hours in my first few weeks of training.

I told her bluntly that I have ALWAYS had a set schedule. I told her I would NOT work erratic schedules. We agreed I’d work the same shifts but different days.

Week 4, and I am still part-time. I am being told I was “never hired as full-time, or promised a set schedule.”

The schedule she was given is hard to follow.

My schedule is chaotic (shifts from 10 am to 5 pm, leave from 8 pm to 10 pm).

At this time, the only full-time employee quits, and I get his hours. My workplace was deemed essential during the VIRUS, and as such, I was working.

I caught the VIRUS and was given 2 weeks PTO, then refused a schedule 2 additional weeks. made 1/2 a month’s pay. I was told I didn’t qualify for the 300$ “hero” bonus because I actually caught the disease and quarantined.

Apparently, they had tried to contact her.

By this point, I’ve come in on the wrong day (WHEN I WAS NOT SCHEDULED about 7x, and it’s a running joke).

I am enjoying a day off, and before bed, I will text my coworker for my next shift start time. She mentions I was supposed to work. I never had any missed calls or voicemail, as my coworker conveys I should have several.

I come in for my shift, get pulled 15 min later, and was asked: “***?”

The manager refused to remember it correctly.

To which I reply, “To be perfectly candid, as we had discussed multiple times, I feel the schedule I’m receiving was misrepresented in the interview we had together. I have expressed to you multiple times that it is too random and erratic, and I have come in on the wrong days and times repeatedly.”

The manager reiterated her claim that I wasn’t promised anything. Said I shouldn’t be treated as special, and she must’ve misunderstood that I just want to close. (She defined closing in the interview as a 1:30 pm to 10 pm shift)

I stated it was my fault for not keeping track of my schedule, but I had stated multiple times that it would not work, even in my initial interview.

Here’s where her manager really crossed a line.

She decided to reply with something that seriously irked me. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter. While I understand as an individual, my job is to make a schedule, and your job is to follow it.”

I asked if I reduced my hours, I could have a set schedule, she agrees, then turns it into a maybe. Then shares that I was about to be forced to part-time anyway due to staff returning from self-quarantine, reminding me I am in the system as part-time, so there’s “No obligation from store name to provide you 30 hours.”

I feel the job was vastly misrepresented, so I’d join the team, and there’s been no effort to honor anything agreed upon in my interview.

AITA?

Eek! This workplace sounds very toxic.

Let’s check out what the folks voer at Reddit think about what’s going on.

This person thinks it comes with the job.

Here’s someone who thinks this is all to be expected.

For this reader, she should be thankful to have a job.

Yet another person who thinks she’s in the wrong.

It’s time to find new work, because she’s probably not going to find the schedule she wants in retail.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about what happened when an office birthday celebration turned out to be an unappreciated prank.