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Getting paid $13 an hour doesn’t usually come with an unspoken expectation of round-the-clock availability, yet that’s exactly the unfair standard one employee feels she’s being held to.

Her toxic boss repeatedly calls and texts her the same request multiple times within a short window, frequently around 6-7am on her days off, pushing her to pick up shifts or fill in during callouts.

So when the employee refused to return a voicemail dripping with barely restrained frustration, she was met the next day with a “playful” shoulder punch and a stern insistence that she must respond regardless of whether she actually wants the shift.

Now she’s left wondering if her growing discomfort, and her decision to start exploring other job options, is a fair reaction to how she’s being treated.

Keep reading for the full story.

Rude manager entitled to my time off the clock…

My manager will call me and leave me multiple voicemails within the span of 4 hours saying the exact same thing, while also texting me the exact same thing (wanting me to pick up shifts, or come in if someone went home sick).

This employee tries to maintain some semblance of work-life balance, so she often doesn’t seem them until it’s too late.

Usually my phone is on silent because I sleep in on my days off, and she’s usually calling me around 6-7am. By the time I’m awake, I see no point in calling her back if I’m not on the schedule that day.

Even if it’s an absolute emergency, that’s still not my problem the company cannot staff correctly, or at least have someone to be PRN when we’re short staffed.

But before long, her boss starts pushing back against her lack of responsiveness.

The other morning I got a rather rude voicemail from her where she kinda yelled, but didn’t, but you could def tell she was ticked, and she goes, “____, I need you to call me back!” Never did, because I didn’t appreciate the tone.

This employee is quick to mention that she definitely isn’t getting paid enough to offer 24/7 support.

Mind you, I’m only getting paid $13/hr. Anyway, when I came in the next day she “playfully” punched my shoulder and said, “YOU need to answer me! Even if you don’t want to fill the shift, I need you to respond!”

So she clarified her boundary for her boss, but of course, the boss didn’t care.

And I politely told her my phone automatically goes on DND setting at certain times and I don’t always see my texts or calls unless I actively go into those tabs. She told me, “Well, you need to listen for it!”

Am I overreacting by being completely put off by this and am looking for a new job because of this?

Micromanager alert!

What did Reddit have to say?

This boss needs to learn the art of sweetening the deal.

Employees have rights — and that’s a fact that many toxic bosses don’t take kindly to.

It’s time to work smarter, not harder.

No pay, no response!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a teenager who wants to work, but his mom thinks working past 8pm is too late for high school.

There’s no version of a $13-an-hour job that reasonably includes being expected to monitor your phone constantly, especially while asleep on your own day off.

The barrage of repeated calls and texts isn’t a communication issue on the employee’s end, it’s a boundaries issue on the boss’ end — and a severe one, at that.

If this company was truly facing such a troubling staffing shortage, you’d think the boss would want to treat her remaining employees with a bit more respect.

Turns out, not everyone is cut out to be the boss.