Workplace stress can affect the way we communicate with coworkers.

The following story is about a teenager who works part-time in a local ecology and marine biology center.

She had just clocked out and was on her phone when a coworker demanded that she help out because one of the tour guides didn’t show up.

Tired and frustrated, she refused with a raised voice, which further escalated the situation.

Read the full story below for all the details.

AITAH for ignoring a demand from someone who is not my superior?

I (16F) work part time as a student aid/tour guide and lab assistant (yay promotion!) at my local ecology and marine biology center.

The other person (64F) was someone I occasionally spoke to early on when I was just a volunteer.

I thought her work was cool.

This teenager was already off the clock.

Yesterday, when it was a little bit after my shift, she came to me.

I was on my phone checking the bus time and scrolling Tiktok.

I already clocked out, but she was yelling at me to get off my phone and come help with the tour.

I told her I was off the clock.

She was annoyed because someone didn’t show up and left the shift after mine with a missing person.

She was tired, and she couldn’t do another shift.

She has never been someone in a position to tell me to do anything.

Or in a position of power over anyone in any of the job titles I’ve held in my time here.

I was tired. We had a tour with elementry school kids, and they were all louder then how a T-rex would sound in my imagination.

I admittedly was a bit rude and told her I was off the clock and that I wasn’t going to help in a rather IDGAF manner.

The older employee demanded that she help with the next tour.

Here’s a rough translation of the conversation:

Lady: “Hey, get off your phone you need to come help!”

Me: “Hey, Miss Lady. I’m not on the clock right now. I’m not gonna friggin’ help you. I’m not scheduled for a double.”

Lady: “Get off your a** and help! You will get paid for the extra shift.”

Me: “I’m not joining another tour, and my bus is gonna be here soon, so I’m leaving.”

She received a message from her old boss.

I then left and waited at the bus station an extra twenty mintues because I didn’t wanna deal with her being mad.

I got a text from my old boss saying what I did wasn’t good but wasn’t horrible.

And that next time I come in while the lady was also working, I needed to apologize to her.

I don’t want to apologize to her. She’s not in charge of me or the schedule.

She’s not even supposed to work with tours.

She thinks she was not at fault here.

I know the heat gets to everyone, and it did to both of us (it was 33 degrees C outside and really humid).

But she’s the adult here.

I don’t think it’s okay for either of us to be rude and yell at each other because of that.

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But I had a reason, and she didn’t.

AITA?

OP has the right to refuse to help because she was off the clock.

However, I think she could have informed the older lady more politely.

Had they communicated better, the tension would have been avoided, and they could have come up with a more effective solution to the problem.

Let’s see find out what others have to say about this.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This one makes a valid point.

Here’s an honest opinion.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who decides to mute her boss’s number after he insists on calling her at home after hours.

Here’s a similar thought.

Absolutely unacceptable, says this one.

Nothing gets solved with raised voices and bad attitudes.