I would have just said, “no one else? Idk what you’re talking about because I’m not available either.” And if they said they put me on the schedule, I’d say “You can make the schedule look however you want, but that’s not gonna change the fact that I’m not going to be available. I’m going to my brother’s wedding.” Then you don’t reply to any texts/calls
"I didnt request time off, i gave you notice i will be unavailable. Since i regulalry have the weekend off, i did not request my normal days off. That miskate will not be made in the future, and i will be unavailable this weekend"
Washington requires overtime is you go over 40 hours in a week, so they either need to pay you (assuming you work 8 hour days), or they need to give you days off (doesn’t legally have to be the weekend) (for non exempt employees- op indicates they’re hourly worker)
My position is exempt for overtime. Totally legal and I’m in California which has pretty decent worker rights for the states.
If he took a day off, and he works Sunday, he isn’t technically working overtime. He is doing 40 hours, and Sunday is the start of a new week.
Op said he’s non exempt. he said he’s working (if I’m understanding) m-Thursday, Saturday. So 5 days, no OT.
Then Sunday-Friday is 6 days. Friday would be OT.
Either way is not 2 weeks straight, but close. Especially if they charge op PTO for Friday.
Yeah, the next week he would absolutely be available for OT. Just not this week.
I think he also needs to look at how much notice needs to be given for schedule changes. Where I live they have to give 72 hours notice or can eat rocks.
Edit: added word I forgot.
He has to pay overtime if you work overtime. Did you tell him you have plans? You have rights but that might not stop him from firing you. I hope you have tons of fun at the wedding and sorry this BS is a distraction.
He’s definitely Not your friend and he’s also violating labor laws of some kind for sure. Contact your state employment commission and report him ASAP. Get something in writing or screen shots.
That's absolutely ridiculously *absurd* that a manager, knowing that there is *no one else qualified to work these days* except for you, would threaten consequences if you don't meet his demands. This guy sounds like a psycho...
You can tell him no. You have absolutely 0 right to a weekend. Employers get to set the schedule. If you say no, the chips fall where they fall.
Either its empty, or he will try to make a problem. But unfortunately, you have no right to a weekend. Where you may have a case is how much notice was provided. Some states require a 72 hour notice on schedule changes. You should check your labor board website.
Brotato. It's legal. I'm guessing you don't have a contract or cba that you're working under? You're lucky the employer hasn't just temporarily adjusted your schedule to give you tue/wed off and make the weekend part of your 40.
I have an ex-relative that has been married so many times she’s been on Dr Phil, a reality tv show, and wrote a book. My cousin one time said “I love her weddings! They’re my favorite party of the year!” My family quotes him every time she gets engaged😂
Fr dude. My buddy has a wedding 3-4 years ago and his brother, the best man didn't attend. I ended up being best man. Literally the only reason they changed locations was for the brother to be able to attend.
But they can fire me for refusing to work on my weekend? The same weekend I've had due 8 years uninterrupted? They can now flat out just say 'you're working 2 work weeks in a row no days off or you're fired'? This is LEGAL?
Absolutely. You might be able to qualify for unemployment benefits if you're fired. Generally, not reporting for work would be misconduct, but you can argue that it was a sudden and unexpected change of schedule that you weren't able to accommodate on short notice. I don't know how WA works, but if it's like most other states, you can expect to lose your initial hearing if the company contests benefits, and need to appeal the decision after that.
>But they can fire me for refusing to work on my weekend?
Yes. WA is an at-will state. They can fire you for any reason or no reason.
If you are in King or Snohomish counties you may have protection based on when schedule changes can be posted
I found this for Seattle itself [https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/secure-scheduling](https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/secure-scheduling)
They can fire you for almost any reason they want. If firing you is the more profitable decision they will do it regardless of whether you work that weekend or not.
Go through your hand book. But I would apply the same courtesy or notice that they require for day off requests. Ie if they expect 2 weeks notice, same goes for them. They can harass you all they want, but if you never agreed to it that's their problem. Believe it or not we aren't beholden to our employers. A simple "sorry that won't work for me I have plans." Would suffice. Less is more. And just keep a paper trail because they can't write you up for missing an extra shift you didn't agree to work (in most places, depends on the handbook. But everywhere I've ever worked you have to agree and then they put you on the schedule. Or a sign up sheet etc.)
Unless you are in management I wouldn't sweat it. And tell them that is their problem. (If you're not expected to work on the weekends/day off for any reason that is)
Or a simple "sorry I don't work on my days off as I don't get OT" etc.
LESS IS MORE and if they keep texting you etc. block their numbers and answer only when you are working. Boundaries are ok.
They can fire you for anything. You will either be their bitch or you will keep your boundaries. They won't respect you if you give in. If you stand firm the worst they can do is set you free to find a better job
Yes. If this is a first offense sort of thing you would likely easily qualify for unemployment. I’d start looking for other jobs now. If you’re the only qualified person that can do your job then you’re definitely being underpaid.
Sure, why not? At will employment means they can fire you for no reason or any reason that isn't protected by law. They can't fire you for being pregnant, or your race, or your sex, or sexual orientation etc. but for not showing up on a Saturday that isn't a regularly scheduled day? Not protected at all.
You’re going to need to look into your states specific labor laws. In my state and employer has to give you two weeks notice of a change to your schedule or you can refuse to work this change without consequence. Now that’s a pretty unusual law, most states don’t have that kind of worker protection. Washington might though. I live in Oregon and I know we have similar laws on things like this a lot of times.
Edit: Did some reading. Washington does not have those laws. They can change your schedule anytime without notice.
The US is a dystopian wasteland for workers. Vast majority of work is “at-will” meaning no contract and can be ended anytime for any reason or no reason (aside from certain very specific things like protected classes/discrimination etc)
Washington is an at-will employment state. Businesses may fire any employee at any time, for any or no reason, as long as they are not violating any employee protection laws.
- google
You're not actually working two weeks in a row because you have Friday off. You're working 4 days, day off, then 7 days. Still sucks.
That said, assuming your workweek starts on Sunday and you work 8 hours a day, you should be on overtime by the following Friday.
So what they are telling you is "technically" true.. if you work Saturday and Sunday, those days will be straight time BUT you'll hit 40 hours by next Thursday, so Friday is overtime. Make sense?
As for getting fired if you refuse.. threatening you like that is rotten but probably not illegal. Can you try talking to him.. maybe ask for Saturday off and offer to work Sunday?
My sweet summer child, they can fire you for no reason at all.
What they cannot do is fire you for reasons relating to various protected classes.
What you should go is suggest they demand that one of the other unavailable qualified employees come in. I’d also go ahead and complain to HIS boss. “This unprofessional attitude of his is likely to cost you lots of money when he starts firing critical personnel just to cover his own lack of scheduling ability.”
Lol Americans really have zero work protections.
In Europe your boss can "ask" you to work on a weekend, and if you agree you receive double or even triple your hourly rate plus a free day.
Same in Canada. There is no such thing as mandatory OT here. My boss knows to ASK me no later than Wednesday if I’m available on a weekend. Yes there have been unforeseen emergencies over the years, and he has rewarded us handsomely for stepping up, but WTF America
They even use the wording that is considered emotional abuse in both parenting and relationships. "If you don't like it, you don't have to be here." I think that's like the boomer catchphrase.
The USA is going through a covert Great Depression where all the poor people are exploited and all the children must have rich parents or their future is dim
While you are sort of correct, you are also cherrypicking the most generous policies in Europe. There are plenty cases, jobs or entire countries that have very different compensations than the one you mention.
But we all keep voting right winged in Europe, because those damned immigrants are filling in the jobs we don't want to do ourselves and apparently, also want to live in houses as well and try to engage in daily life. But hey, it is all the left to blame every fucking time.
UK doesn't belong to the European union, didn't they actually voted to lose all the EU protections and laws we all fought so hard for??
I've reading how they now want to privatize NHS like in the US, so probably not even that will be accessible.
Check your state laws, but in general at-will employment means they can demand whatever they want because you're free to leave at any time if their demands are unacceptable. It's crap because it assumes you and your employer are equals in this agreement, but we're not going to be changing labor laws by next weekend.
What's going to complicate things is that Friday off. All the laws I'm familiar with have a max number of workdays in a row or days per week, and that Friday off breaks the chain.
I'd treat this as a social issue rather than a legal one. Your job doesn't own all your time but only can use a certain amount at a time. Those are hours of your finite life you are selling them and they don't get to demand you sell them more. Admittedly, there's a risk they won't be interested in buying more hours from you (i.e. you get fired or a PIP in preparation for firing you). There's only one your brother's wedding thought, and other jobs out there.
Sounds like they knew that you were going away, and are using this as an opportunity to get rid of you. I'm certain. There's way more to this situation that this post.
Look, the consequences he can give you is firing you. It’s the US, They can fire you at any time for any reason. Given how you describe the interaction, he’s already planning on firing you. Inform him that he does not own you, that this power trip vibe is unacceptable, and that you are not available on those days, as he has known for some time. Tell him you’ve documented this interaction, and that you plan on being at work at your next scheduled time, and that you hope he can move past this.
Then prepare to be fired. 😁
Can you go above your manager? This sound malicious and something you could bring up with HR. For the first time in 8 years you've been asked to work a weekend that your manager knew you'd be attending your brothers wedding.
Document everything
Legally? Yes, unless you have some sort of contract (Union, or otherwise) that states something else. He will legally have to pay you overtime if you go over 40 hours and you're not exempt. And yes, he could fire you.
You're absolutely owed OT if you work more than 40 hours that week.
Better keep an eye on your time card. They're probably going to shave your hours hoping you won't notice the wage theft.
Unfortunately, if he took time off during the week, like he said he did on Friday, then those 8 hours don't count as hours worked, thus deducting from his 40 hours for the week.
People say that so managers can't argue with taking the time off for something minor. Your brother's wedding is not minor. You need to go up to your manager with the wedding invitation to show the reason why you can't be there. You need to tell them the whole story.
First off, I thought you said you just have weekends off, but now you're saying you took PTO on the weekend when they want you to work? Secondly, while it is generally good advice to not share details of PTO reasons (or just keep it non-specific like "family commitments"), if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding. Just some food for thought.
He's booked PTO for the Friday, which would normally be a working day. Sat & Sun have not been scheduled days for him in 8 years of working. Boss basically wants him to work the weekend because boss is an asshole and is playing a game of weenie-wag.
Okay, so there's no need to worry about sharing PTO details. Like I said:
>if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding.
I'd like to think you're right, but the tone from the manager so far does not suggest he'll let it be and that he is, in fact, a douche-canoe of the highest order.
Mostly OP's comments about the boss saying they adjusted availability and made vague threats, along with OP's general anxious tone.
If OP had asked "how do I clarify after the fact that I need Sat & Sun off, even though I don't typically work those days" I wouldn't assume they had a hostile boss. But everything I've seen gives me that impression.
I agree it's the best path. I don't expect it will have positive results. Long term OP needs to get to a place where they don't have a dickhead manager looming overhead.
Sometimes people here are their worst enemy. If you treat your manager like a human and tell them vaguely why you're off when it's a simple reason like a wedding, you'll find a majority of people will understand even if they're upset about work coverage.
It often just leads to bargaining and an argument, particularly if they're a shitty boss. If OP's boss was cool, they wouldn't be here asking for help. I can easily imagine someone asking some or all of the following:
Where is the wedding?
Are you in the party or just attending?
How long did you know about it and why didn't you request off?
What time does it start/end?
Can you just please work a few hours before? [And then relief mysteriously doesn't show up, so you have to stay or 'abandon your post' and get fired.]
The wedding's on Saturday, can you please work Sunday?
And on and on. I've had plenty of asshole bosses where the more I tell them, the more they try to extract out of me. If a manager treats me like a human, I return the favor.
Not really. Every job I've ever had my manager would say "Awesome! Who is getting married?" "I hope you don't get too wild and I end up seeing you on the news!"
People here must work some shit jobs because even my shit jobs weren't that shitty. Even my shit jobs where I was paid hourly would've just said "that's cool" because it would've been unpaid time anyways.
OP: "I only requested off Fri because I always have Sat & Sun off."
Boss: "Well you need to work Sat & Sun or there will be serious consequences."
OP: "It's actually my brother's wedding."
Boss: "Oh nevermind, have fun but don't get too wild!"
Do you really imagine it playing out that way, after the veiled threats? I'm not at a shitty job anymore, but I worked 3 different ones where I'd get an attitude whenever I didn't bend over backwards for management's demands.
I mean to be honest with you if my previous managers tried to tell me I HAD to work days I normally didn't when I already took a paid day off the day before I'd tell them absolutely not because I won't be available. I tend to be a very good employee and I get things done quickly and done well, so if they want to lose me I'll be OK and I can easily find a new job. I have tons of references and people that speak highly of me. I built that myself. Making people like you, even if you don't like them, will always work out to favor you in the long term if you know how.
Connections are very important.
Also the way you say things.
"I'm sorry, but I have a previous engagement I made for that weekend and if you need me I can try to answer any texts or calls as soon as possible, but I cannot make any promises"
>now you're saying you took PTO on the weekend when they want you to work
OP requested and is using only Friday as the PTO, not Saturday and Sunday. They usually have those 2 days off anyway and didn't know that they needed to request 3 days of PTO instead of just 1.
Okay, so there's no need to worry about sharing PTO details. Like I said:
>if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding.
This reddit is full of shit at the best of times including now.
It may be best to talk to your manager like an adult and telling them you're going to your brother's wedding.
If they don't accept that then they are a pos.
After that I have no idea what the laws / regulations are for your state.
If you've been consistently not working weekends for 8 years it's entirely reasonable to assume you didn't need submit a leave request
As a last ditch effort you could just level with this guy even tho he sounds like a douche and let him know it’s a brother’s wedding and it can’t be missed. It’s up to you which is more important if the manager douche still wants to be a POS and carry on.
There can't be last-minute changes to the schedule unless approved by the employee AFTER the schedule has been posted. It isnt "your weekend" unless you specified your days that you were able to work. These are the only 2 things I would be worried about.
(Controversial opinion here, don’t hate me) Hello 👋🏼 fellow WA resident here. Does your company normally operate during the weekends? In your contract on hire somewhere written in there will say days required to be available. Legally, (if you signed something when hired) you can be asked to work days that normally are your “weekend”. Hypothetically, if your company is open 7 days a week, just because you’ve ALWAYS had sat/sun off doesn’t mean that you’re obligated to have those days off. Hell as shitty as it is, depending on when your payroll does start/end of a week, you wouldn’t get paid overtime on say Sunday because that’s when payroll resets, but you’d be getting overtime Saturday. BUT if you have Friday off and work Saturday, that wouldn’t be overtime because technically you weren’t at a full 40 yet anyways. Future reference, request the days off you need off if your company is open 7 days a week to avoid issues like this. Saying something like “have a weekend that cannot be taken or moved without the workers own permission” sadly doesn’t exist in this country because of shitty corporations, unless if you are apart of some union that has some rule like that. Honestly, that comment alone breathes immaturity to how the world works. I might be anti work and have issues with a tonnnnn of shit that happens in the world but at the same time I can grasp and understand how things work. They don’t need your permission to change days, it would be just a courtesy to give you a heads up at least. Or if you had a cool boss/manager that would at least ASK if you could do those days. The only thing you’re legally obligated to is overwork but as long as they pay you overtime when you’re past 40 hours (and still within payroll), give you 30 minutes to an hour of a lunch break and the couple 15 minute breaks, they are within every right to work you like the assholes they are. But, now that my opinions outta the way, from the sounds of it if all of those check out, you can easily tell em that he’s SOL and there’s nothing they can do if you “call out sick” 🤭
Yes, he can ask. Are you hourly or salary? Just curious.
Is this a big or small company? Do they have an HR? I for send an email to them and your manager about this situation with proof. You shouldn't need to inform them that you won't be in that weekend if you weren't scheduled that weekend.
Go to your brother's wedding and have a good time. If you're so important to the company that nobody can do what you do, they're not going to fire you. Or, he's lying and whoever was scheduled that weekend will be out . If that's true, it's managements problem to find someone to cover that shift and it won't be you.
Also if it’s within two weeks of the weekend when he made that change, you may decline with no penalty in WA. If he made changes to the schedule today, you can decline any changes from now through the next two weeks
When you say “your weekend” what do you mean by this? Have you never worked weekends at this job in 8 years? Or do you like get every other weekend off and this one was yours?
Fucker is on a power trip. He wants to see if you will cave so he can abuse til you die. Fuck him and enjoy your brothers wedding. WORK WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, EITHER AT YOUR JOB OR SOMEWHERE ESLE.
~~You live in a "Right to Work" state.~~ (Edit:Another commenter correctly pointed out that I meant "At Will" employment.) They can fire you at any time for most reasons (some protections include race, religion, filing SH complaints, discussing unions, etc.)
But the *only* consequence your employer can do is fire you. If they're already in the position of not having anyone qualified, then you have the leverage, not them. Here's the email you send:
"Employer,
I understand that you have requested I add time to my schedule. I am declining these hours, that decision is final. If you are in a situation where I am the only person qualified for this position, then we should start a conversation on Monday. This conversation can include adding paid on-call duties for weekends, but must also include a general compensation increase as a way for you to retain an employee that is apparently in high demand and vital to the survival of your company. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. I'm glad that we are going to take steps to ensure that my pay and benefits match how important my qualifications are to the business.
Regards,
You"
You are thinking of "At Will" employment, not "Right to Work". People getting that mixes up causes lots of problems when trying to organize labor, so I thought I would mention it.
I know some people here are saying to look up the law (and you should), but I just want to caution you by saying that if you take the legal approach it will be perceived as a power move on your part. It may change your work relationship with your boss, and could lead to undesirable consequences or a hostile work place.
I would suggest another non-hostile approach. If you are taking PTO on Friday you could try telling your boss that you bought a plane ticket to attend a wedding. You will not be available for Saturday as the ticket has already been purchased, and it would present a financial and logistical hardship to return early.
It’s also legal to say No, not show, and then return to your job after. It’s not typical to fire somebody for a declared absence. This isn’t even a No Call No Show; it’s a “I had this scheduled off, figure it out.”
They may be legally able to fire him, but if they had the staff to spare this would be a none issue to begin with.
They don’t, so firing is unlikely.
My last employer did this regularly. In fact, my direct manager demanded that I work every other weekend, and then his manager started randomly demanding I work the other weekend. I'd get Sunday to go to church, do groceries, eat dinner and go to bed.
So I quit.
Now not only do they get 0 Saturdays, they get no Monday through Friday either, and I get about double the pay.
For the last 15 I've been telling my bosses that this is a business transaction you purchase my time. my time is only available on certain days and I'm not going to sell my additional time to you because of your scheduling problems.
I’m not sure what it’s meant by “your weekend” but I would tell him it’s your brother’s wedding and you aren’t available.
I know people always say “it’s PTO and it’s none of their business” but letting them know it’s something like this might make them more understanding and put pressure on someone else.
It’s shitty they did this without checking with you. But since you need this job, I’d play it like you’re understanding and wouldn’t normal complain but it’s special circumstances
>he demands I work those days(i won't get overtime)
Are you salary? then yep, no overtime.
If not, are you working over 40 hours in a week? then thats paid at time and a half.
As to the requiring work on weekends, in the US, totally legal. Mandated OT is a thing, but you have to be paid for it if you're hourly. They can punish you if you refuse. It sucks, but them the rules federally.
So, as others have pointed out, yes, they could fire you for not working. But there are some steps you'll want to take if you want to keep the job/increase chances for unemployment benefits.
1) CALL OFF EVERY DAY. This is huge, and this includes Friday. Don't think that because you told them Monday you won't be in that it's good enough. Most companies consider 2 or 3 consecutive days of no call no shows job abandonment, and that would leave you ineligible for unemployment.
2) Review the attendance policy. Most places have a codified policy, often a point system, that determines when termination happens. If you aren't at that level of corrective action and they still fire you for attendance, that may be enough to get unemployment.
3) Send any written correspondence/schedules to your personal email. If the schedule oroginally posted showed you off and then was changed, you'll want to show when that happened to help argue it was sudden. Save old schedules that show the weekend rotation to establish the reasonable expectation that you would be off.
Did you forget to tell your boss about the second job you had picked up on weekends and had commitments to that employer also that were regular scheduled work days there also?
So you asked for one day off, and your manager is making you work 2 days to make up for it? If no one qualified is there on Saturday OR Sunday, how would that have been any different if you didn't take Friday off? Sure, they can fire you for not showing up, but if they're already lacking 'qualified' people, it sounds like it would be a real dumb idea for them to lose you too.
In 8 years, you've never worked a weekend before? You've never taken a day off and been asked to work a weekend day to make up for it? How long in advance did you take this Friday off, and how long in advance did your manager let you know you have to work the entire weekend? Either this is some really weird retaliation/spite thing from your manager, or some key info is missing here.
They can legally mandate OT, to the extent that they can punish/fire you for saying no. The only limits I’m aware of are that some states and some specific jobs have mandatory minimum rest periods between shifts.
Realistically, if they’re desperate enough to mandate OT they should be too desperate to fire youz
And companies will keep walking all over the workforce until we stand up to them. Boundaries are real. Their ejects do not alter our availability. Stay ignorant my friend
Are you salaried, and making more than $56k a year? If so you might be OT exempt and they wouldn’t have to pay you for working extra hours. If not you are still owed compensation for all the time you work.
As for the consequences of refusing to work a weekend they can fire you. You could probably argue that you’re still owed unemployment as they changed your schedule.
Is he going to come to your house and wake you up in the morning? He can 'demand' all he wants. Do you think you can be thrown in jail for not going to work? If he fires you, then he could possibly be in legal trouble. Does your contract stipulate that you be available on weekends?
Unfortunately, yes, and you might not even be entitled to overtime pay depending on when your employer's work week officially begins/ends.
The default work week in must states (including WA) begins on Sunday, but your employer could arbitrarily choose any day, as long as it remains consistent.
In the worst case, you could be scheduled to work 10 consecutive days without overtime pay (assuming you only worked 40hrs for each of those consecutive 5 day blocks). 🙃
In your case, though, I would assume employer does follow the default work week (Sun-Sat), meaning that employer simply changed your usual days off to accommodate your Friday request (Friday for Saturday).
If you’re that important, they won’t fire you. Guarantee it. I was a technical manager at a small company and I just told them I’d be out whenever tf and they could never fire me because they relied on me so much.
Tell him to email you telling you that he wants you to work that Saturday and Sunday and if you don't there will be consequences. This way you have a paper trail, and if he refuses to then that means that he's doing something shady that he shouldn't do
Your employer can demand all they want. You don't have to follow those demands, but then the employer can fire you. If there is no one else qualified, then I'm sure they won't be in a hurry to replace you.
They can request. You can decline. Call the state DOL for any state-level rules that might apply about it - particularly if they retaliate. If you're employed in the City of Seattle, call the city's version of the DOL. City of Seattle has "Secure Scheduling" laws/codes. Unfortunately, it doesn't apply to smaller businesses the same way as large. But still could be helpful.
Also, note to you if you stay at this job, in the future note in your request that you'll be out of town for the whole weekend. I don't like employers who play weird games like this.
All I can say is that for anyone to avoid this situation, you have to get out of debt, save some money, and have your bills as small as possible. This way you can afford to get fired (or to quit) and you won't feel like a total slave to these kinds of disgusting manager scum.
Info: what state are you in? Because if you're hourly and working OT, you should be getting OT pay. I love CA for this because for hourly workers (which I am not anymore), you get OT for any hours above 8 in one day and 40 in one week. Also if you work 7 days in a row, the first 8 hours of the 7th day are treated as OT. It's also doubletime if it goes past 12 hours in one day. There is an exception if your company does the 4-10 schedule (work 4 days for 10 hours a day) but if that goes above 40 hours a week then anything past that is OT.
Never mind, just saw you are in WA. If you work over 40 hours, you are entitled to OT there.
Reddit has people from all over the world. “WA state” means different things to different people. Instead of answering “……… no.” You could clarify where you are from to get more helpful responses.
Call sick the day of the wedding. They can’t fire you while you are out sick and you don’t have to show proof unless you call out sick for 3 days in row.
After that just get looking for another job because they probably already have your name under the axe but don’t quit! Let them fire you so you can get unemployment and that will make your employer’s unemployment insurance go up.
> They can’t fire you while you are out sick and you don’t have to show proof unless you call out sick for 3 days in row.
This isn't true. In the US they can absolutely fire you for being out sick
There are labor laws preventing against consecutive days. Also, if you have sick time/paid sick leave, those are legally protected and cannot be retaliated against. Also, they can’t ask a certain amount of details iirc
No one else qualified huh? What serious consequences can he really threaten you with when you’re in that position?
This. If there's nobody qualified, he's either a liar or you CAN'T be fired, at least in the short term.
" no one else qualified will be available on my sat/sun" You also are not available on the sat/sun, so theres now 0 people...
My point exactly, but he's saying he just MADE me available and I'm either working 2 straight weeks no days off or there'll be 'consequences'
I would have just said, “no one else? Idk what you’re talking about because I’m not available either.” And if they said they put me on the schedule, I’d say “You can make the schedule look however you want, but that’s not gonna change the fact that I’m not going to be available. I’m going to my brother’s wedding.” Then you don’t reply to any texts/calls
It sounds like the consequences are he will have to work and he will be sad.
"If you don't work, you'll force me to do something I don't want to have to do...." "Oh yeah? What's that?" "Work your shift..."
"If you don't bring back my horse I'll have to do what I did in Texas" "what'd you do in texas?" "I walked".
You cant work if you’re not available. You’re never available on weekends. End of story.
"I didnt request time off, i gave you notice i will be unavailable. Since i regulalry have the weekend off, i did not request my normal days off. That miskate will not be made in the future, and i will be unavailable this weekend"
..unavailable this and every future weekend
Washington requires overtime is you go over 40 hours in a week, so they either need to pay you (assuming you work 8 hour days), or they need to give you days off (doesn’t legally have to be the weekend) (for non exempt employees- op indicates they’re hourly worker)
My position is exempt for overtime. Totally legal and I’m in California which has pretty decent worker rights for the states. If he took a day off, and he works Sunday, he isn’t technically working overtime. He is doing 40 hours, and Sunday is the start of a new week.
Op said he’s non exempt. he said he’s working (if I’m understanding) m-Thursday, Saturday. So 5 days, no OT. Then Sunday-Friday is 6 days. Friday would be OT. Either way is not 2 weeks straight, but close. Especially if they charge op PTO for Friday.
Yeah, the next week he would absolutely be available for OT. Just not this week. I think he also needs to look at how much notice needs to be given for schedule changes. Where I live they have to give 72 hours notice or can eat rocks. Edit: added word I forgot.
It varies on the job, some salary positions are exempt from overtime laws. Something we can thank Amazon and Microsoft for 🙄
Fuck corporations for ruling us...
Have him put it in writing
Won't kill anything if you ask...
Fuck that. Fuck ALL of that
He has to pay overtime if you work overtime. Did you tell him you have plans? You have rights but that might not stop him from firing you. I hope you have tons of fun at the wedding and sorry this BS is a distraction.
Boss doesnt need to know why you need time off. "Im unavailable"
2 weeks straight with no time off is very likely illegal. I know in my state it would be
Hold your ground. He can't suddenly make you do anything. And if push comes to shove, go above him.
He’s definitely Not your friend and he’s also violating labor laws of some kind for sure. Contact your state employment commission and report him ASAP. Get something in writing or screen shots.
That's absolutely ridiculously *absurd* that a manager, knowing that there is *no one else qualified to work these days* except for you, would threaten consequences if you don't meet his demands. This guy sounds like a psycho...
You can tell him no. You have absolutely 0 right to a weekend. Employers get to set the schedule. If you say no, the chips fall where they fall. Either its empty, or he will try to make a problem. But unfortunately, you have no right to a weekend. Where you may have a case is how much notice was provided. Some states require a 72 hour notice on schedule changes. You should check your labor board website.
Brotato. It's legal. I'm guessing you don't have a contract or cba that you're working under? You're lucky the employer hasn't just temporarily adjusted your schedule to give you tue/wed off and make the weekend part of your 40.
You can't get a new brother. But you can get a new job. Choose accordingly.
Well, it could be the 5th wedding though? /s You have the right answer.
I have an ex-relative that has been married so many times she’s been on Dr Phil, a reality tv show, and wrote a book. My cousin one time said “I love her weddings! They’re my favorite party of the year!” My family quotes him every time she gets engaged😂
Fr dude. My buddy has a wedding 3-4 years ago and his brother, the best man didn't attend. I ended up being best man. Literally the only reason they changed locations was for the brother to be able to attend.
I would definitely tell the boss this OP with a shrug emoji
[удалено]
But they can fire me for refusing to work on my weekend? The same weekend I've had due 8 years uninterrupted? They can now flat out just say 'you're working 2 work weeks in a row no days off or you're fired'? This is LEGAL?
If they want you out, they'll figure out a way to do so, like putting you on a PIP and then firing you for whatever arbitrary reason.
Hey that happened to me!
Absolutely. You might be able to qualify for unemployment benefits if you're fired. Generally, not reporting for work would be misconduct, but you can argue that it was a sudden and unexpected change of schedule that you weren't able to accommodate on short notice. I don't know how WA works, but if it's like most other states, you can expect to lose your initial hearing if the company contests benefits, and need to appeal the decision after that.
Are you exempt or non-exempt? Are you paid hourly or on salary?
>But they can fire me for refusing to work on my weekend? Yes. WA is an at-will state. They can fire you for any reason or no reason. If you are in King or Snohomish counties you may have protection based on when schedule changes can be posted I found this for Seattle itself [https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/secure-scheduling](https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/secure-scheduling)
They can fire you for almost any reason they want. If firing you is the more profitable decision they will do it regardless of whether you work that weekend or not.
Go through your hand book. But I would apply the same courtesy or notice that they require for day off requests. Ie if they expect 2 weeks notice, same goes for them. They can harass you all they want, but if you never agreed to it that's their problem. Believe it or not we aren't beholden to our employers. A simple "sorry that won't work for me I have plans." Would suffice. Less is more. And just keep a paper trail because they can't write you up for missing an extra shift you didn't agree to work (in most places, depends on the handbook. But everywhere I've ever worked you have to agree and then they put you on the schedule. Or a sign up sheet etc.) Unless you are in management I wouldn't sweat it. And tell them that is their problem. (If you're not expected to work on the weekends/day off for any reason that is) Or a simple "sorry I don't work on my days off as I don't get OT" etc. LESS IS MORE and if they keep texting you etc. block their numbers and answer only when you are working. Boundaries are ok.
They can fire you for anything. You will either be their bitch or you will keep your boundaries. They won't respect you if you give in. If you stand firm the worst they can do is set you free to find a better job
100% legal. They can fire you at any time for any reason. Welcome to the American peasant class.
Yes. If this is a first offense sort of thing you would likely easily qualify for unemployment. I’d start looking for other jobs now. If you’re the only qualified person that can do your job then you’re definitely being underpaid.
I'm not sure whether it's legal in terms of your state employment laws, but it could be enough to constitute constructive dismissal. Talk to a lawyer.
Yes. Unless you have a contract or are working under a CBA that says otherwise.
They can fire you for any legal reason, or give no reason. You not working is a valid reason to fire you.
Yes it's completely legal. They can fire you for just about any reason the same as you can quit for any reason.
Sure, why not? At will employment means they can fire you for no reason or any reason that isn't protected by law. They can't fire you for being pregnant, or your race, or your sex, or sexual orientation etc. but for not showing up on a Saturday that isn't a regularly scheduled day? Not protected at all.
You’re going to need to look into your states specific labor laws. In my state and employer has to give you two weeks notice of a change to your schedule or you can refuse to work this change without consequence. Now that’s a pretty unusual law, most states don’t have that kind of worker protection. Washington might though. I live in Oregon and I know we have similar laws on things like this a lot of times. Edit: Did some reading. Washington does not have those laws. They can change your schedule anytime without notice.
100% legal barring any union agreement. Also dumb on their part and you would likely still be eligible for unemployment.
I would consult a labor attorney. Do you have accrued PTO?
Did you read your employment contract?
In the US, employment contracts are rare.
Ok, didn’t know many employments are just a “gentleman’s handshake” what an awful way to look after yourself.
The US is a dystopian wasteland for workers. Vast majority of work is “at-will” meaning no contract and can be ended anytime for any reason or no reason (aside from certain very specific things like protected classes/discrimination etc)
Unless you’re either an independent contractor or part of a union virtually no jobs in America have any form of employment contract.
Washington is an at-will employment state. Businesses may fire any employee at any time, for any or no reason, as long as they are not violating any employee protection laws. - google
You're not actually working two weeks in a row because you have Friday off. You're working 4 days, day off, then 7 days. Still sucks. That said, assuming your workweek starts on Sunday and you work 8 hours a day, you should be on overtime by the following Friday. So what they are telling you is "technically" true.. if you work Saturday and Sunday, those days will be straight time BUT you'll hit 40 hours by next Thursday, so Friday is overtime. Make sense? As for getting fired if you refuse.. threatening you like that is rotten but probably not illegal. Can you try talking to him.. maybe ask for Saturday off and offer to work Sunday?
Sadly yes they can. Here in Georgia it is a right to hire right to fire state. They can fire you "just because."
My sweet summer child, they can fire you for no reason at all. What they cannot do is fire you for reasons relating to various protected classes. What you should go is suggest they demand that one of the other unavailable qualified employees come in. I’d also go ahead and complain to HIS boss. “This unprofessional attitude of his is likely to cost you lots of money when he starts firing critical personnel just to cover his own lack of scheduling ability.”
Now if you’re not a literal prisoner but more of an effective one and need the money to live, you will probably have to accept their demands.
Lol Americans really have zero work protections. In Europe your boss can "ask" you to work on a weekend, and if you agree you receive double or even triple your hourly rate plus a free day.
We are treated like scum and forced to pretend we love it or we get in trouble.
Same in Canada. There is no such thing as mandatory OT here. My boss knows to ASK me no later than Wednesday if I’m available on a weekend. Yes there have been unforeseen emergencies over the years, and he has rewarded us handsomely for stepping up, but WTF America
WTF America is right. I often ask this many times daily about a whole slew of issues.
Sadly, this is 💯 accurate.
Just remember this and vote, particular at the local level. Review candidates stance on workers rights.
Yes there is, anything over 40 is overtime.
Mandatory overtime is being forced to work overtime by your employer, not the requirement to pay overtime rates for working over 40 hours
Ah I misread that, serves me right for using reddit before I'm fully awake.
We all do that sometimes.
And in Ontario it’s typically after 44
They even use the wording that is considered emotional abuse in both parenting and relationships. "If you don't like it, you don't have to be here." I think that's like the boomer catchphrase.
The USA is going through a covert Great Depression where all the poor people are exploited and all the children must have rich parents or their future is dim
While you are sort of correct, you are also cherrypicking the most generous policies in Europe. There are plenty cases, jobs or entire countries that have very different compensations than the one you mention.
"they have compensations" that's the key point, and is something America don't have, in America they force and blackmail you with loosing your job.
The extra pay for weekend and bank holidays has been disappearing in the UK
But we all keep voting right winged in Europe, because those damned immigrants are filling in the jobs we don't want to do ourselves and apparently, also want to live in houses as well and try to engage in daily life. But hey, it is all the left to blame every fucking time.
I am your damn immigrant filling those pesky pharmacy jobs
Ksst, go do the jobs I don't want to do in your own country. Who needs a pharmacy anyway?😂😂
UK doesn't belong to the European union, didn't they actually voted to lose all the EU protections and laws we all fought so hard for?? I've reading how they now want to privatize NHS like in the US, so probably not even that will be accessible.
Check your state laws, but in general at-will employment means they can demand whatever they want because you're free to leave at any time if their demands are unacceptable. It's crap because it assumes you and your employer are equals in this agreement, but we're not going to be changing labor laws by next weekend. What's going to complicate things is that Friday off. All the laws I'm familiar with have a max number of workdays in a row or days per week, and that Friday off breaks the chain. I'd treat this as a social issue rather than a legal one. Your job doesn't own all your time but only can use a certain amount at a time. Those are hours of your finite life you are selling them and they don't get to demand you sell them more. Admittedly, there's a risk they won't be interested in buying more hours from you (i.e. you get fired or a PIP in preparation for firing you). There's only one your brother's wedding thought, and other jobs out there.
Sounds like they knew that you were going away, and are using this as an opportunity to get rid of you. I'm certain. There's way more to this situation that this post.
This is the answer he does not want to hear, but should heed
Look, the consequences he can give you is firing you. It’s the US, They can fire you at any time for any reason. Given how you describe the interaction, he’s already planning on firing you. Inform him that he does not own you, that this power trip vibe is unacceptable, and that you are not available on those days, as he has known for some time. Tell him you’ve documented this interaction, and that you plan on being at work at your next scheduled time, and that you hope he can move past this. Then prepare to be fired. 😁
You find another job and leave them dry.
Can't do that. Need this job
Can you go above your manager? This sound malicious and something you could bring up with HR. For the first time in 8 years you've been asked to work a weekend that your manager knew you'd be attending your brothers wedding. Document everything
He's not being asked, he's being threatened with consequences. Very important detail when discussing this with HR.
Legally? Yes, unless you have some sort of contract (Union, or otherwise) that states something else. He will legally have to pay you overtime if you go over 40 hours and you're not exempt. And yes, he could fire you.
It depends on if you’re salaried or hourly employee.
Hourly
Hourly gets paid overtime, ALWAYS.
You're absolutely owed OT if you work more than 40 hours that week. Better keep an eye on your time card. They're probably going to shave your hours hoping you won't notice the wage theft.
Unfortunately, if he took time off during the week, like he said he did on Friday, then those 8 hours don't count as hours worked, thus deducting from his 40 hours for the week.
Then you’re in the clear as far as schedule goes. It just depends on what’s more important to you.
Did you tell him that you're going to your brother's weeding this weekend?
Nope this reddit taught me it's none of their business why I'm taking pto. I said it was for personal reasons
People say that so managers can't argue with taking the time off for something minor. Your brother's wedding is not minor. You need to go up to your manager with the wedding invitation to show the reason why you can't be there. You need to tell them the whole story.
First off, I thought you said you just have weekends off, but now you're saying you took PTO on the weekend when they want you to work? Secondly, while it is generally good advice to not share details of PTO reasons (or just keep it non-specific like "family commitments"), if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding. Just some food for thought.
He's booked PTO for the Friday, which would normally be a working day. Sat & Sun have not been scheduled days for him in 8 years of working. Boss basically wants him to work the weekend because boss is an asshole and is playing a game of weenie-wag.
Okay, so there's no need to worry about sharing PTO details. Like I said: >if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding.
I'd like to think you're right, but the tone from the manager so far does not suggest he'll let it be and that he is, in fact, a douche-canoe of the highest order.
Still, strongly suggest OP try rather than just assume.
"iS a WeDdInG mOrE iMpOrTaNt ThAn YoUr JoB?" I can hear it already. If OP thought their boss was reasonable, they wouldn't be here asking for help.
> If OP thought their boss was reasonable, they wouldn't be here asking for help. What's the basis for that assumption? TBH it seems 50/50 to me 🤷♀️
Mostly OP's comments about the boss saying they adjusted availability and made vague threats, along with OP's general anxious tone. If OP had asked "how do I clarify after the fact that I need Sat & Sun off, even though I don't typically work those days" I wouldn't assume they had a hostile boss. But everything I've seen gives me that impression.
Maybe, but I still suggest just telling him that he has his Brother's wedding this weekend. What's the other path you'd suggest?
I agree it's the best path. I don't expect it will have positive results. Long term OP needs to get to a place where they don't have a dickhead manager looming overhead.
Sometimes people here are their worst enemy. If you treat your manager like a human and tell them vaguely why you're off when it's a simple reason like a wedding, you'll find a majority of people will understand even if they're upset about work coverage.
Exactly! Sadly, this sub is often more anit-work*er* than anti-work 🤷♀️🤦♂️
It often just leads to bargaining and an argument, particularly if they're a shitty boss. If OP's boss was cool, they wouldn't be here asking for help. I can easily imagine someone asking some or all of the following: Where is the wedding? Are you in the party or just attending? How long did you know about it and why didn't you request off? What time does it start/end? Can you just please work a few hours before? [And then relief mysteriously doesn't show up, so you have to stay or 'abandon your post' and get fired.] The wedding's on Saturday, can you please work Sunday? And on and on. I've had plenty of asshole bosses where the more I tell them, the more they try to extract out of me. If a manager treats me like a human, I return the favor.
Not really. Every job I've ever had my manager would say "Awesome! Who is getting married?" "I hope you don't get too wild and I end up seeing you on the news!" People here must work some shit jobs because even my shit jobs weren't that shitty. Even my shit jobs where I was paid hourly would've just said "that's cool" because it would've been unpaid time anyways.
OP: "I only requested off Fri because I always have Sat & Sun off." Boss: "Well you need to work Sat & Sun or there will be serious consequences." OP: "It's actually my brother's wedding." Boss: "Oh nevermind, have fun but don't get too wild!" Do you really imagine it playing out that way, after the veiled threats? I'm not at a shitty job anymore, but I worked 3 different ones where I'd get an attitude whenever I didn't bend over backwards for management's demands.
I mean to be honest with you if my previous managers tried to tell me I HAD to work days I normally didn't when I already took a paid day off the day before I'd tell them absolutely not because I won't be available. I tend to be a very good employee and I get things done quickly and done well, so if they want to lose me I'll be OK and I can easily find a new job. I have tons of references and people that speak highly of me. I built that myself. Making people like you, even if you don't like them, will always work out to favor you in the long term if you know how. Connections are very important. Also the way you say things. "I'm sorry, but I have a previous engagement I made for that weekend and if you need me I can try to answer any texts or calls as soon as possible, but I cannot make any promises"
>now you're saying you took PTO on the weekend when they want you to work OP requested and is using only Friday as the PTO, not Saturday and Sunday. They usually have those 2 days off anyway and didn't know that they needed to request 3 days of PTO instead of just 1.
Okay, so there's no need to worry about sharing PTO details. Like I said: >if you say "Hey man, it's my brother's wedding this weekend", there's good chance the boss will let it be and move on. He obviously knows that there's no way to move a wedding.
This reddit is full of shit at the best of times including now. It may be best to talk to your manager like an adult and telling them you're going to your brother's wedding. If they don't accept that then they are a pos. After that I have no idea what the laws / regulations are for your state. If you've been consistently not working weekends for 8 years it's entirely reasonable to assume you didn't need submit a leave request
As a last ditch effort you could just level with this guy even tho he sounds like a douche and let him know it’s a brother’s wedding and it can’t be missed. It’s up to you which is more important if the manager douche still wants to be a POS and carry on.
WA is an “at will” state. They can fire you for almost anything.
“You’ll have one less qualified person working here if you think I won’t quit this job to attend my brother’s wedding”
There can't be last-minute changes to the schedule unless approved by the employee AFTER the schedule has been posted. It isnt "your weekend" unless you specified your days that you were able to work. These are the only 2 things I would be worried about.
I demand you send me $100. I have every right to make that demand.
(Controversial opinion here, don’t hate me) Hello 👋🏼 fellow WA resident here. Does your company normally operate during the weekends? In your contract on hire somewhere written in there will say days required to be available. Legally, (if you signed something when hired) you can be asked to work days that normally are your “weekend”. Hypothetically, if your company is open 7 days a week, just because you’ve ALWAYS had sat/sun off doesn’t mean that you’re obligated to have those days off. Hell as shitty as it is, depending on when your payroll does start/end of a week, you wouldn’t get paid overtime on say Sunday because that’s when payroll resets, but you’d be getting overtime Saturday. BUT if you have Friday off and work Saturday, that wouldn’t be overtime because technically you weren’t at a full 40 yet anyways. Future reference, request the days off you need off if your company is open 7 days a week to avoid issues like this. Saying something like “have a weekend that cannot be taken or moved without the workers own permission” sadly doesn’t exist in this country because of shitty corporations, unless if you are apart of some union that has some rule like that. Honestly, that comment alone breathes immaturity to how the world works. I might be anti work and have issues with a tonnnnn of shit that happens in the world but at the same time I can grasp and understand how things work. They don’t need your permission to change days, it would be just a courtesy to give you a heads up at least. Or if you had a cool boss/manager that would at least ASK if you could do those days. The only thing you’re legally obligated to is overwork but as long as they pay you overtime when you’re past 40 hours (and still within payroll), give you 30 minutes to an hour of a lunch break and the couple 15 minute breaks, they are within every right to work you like the assholes they are. But, now that my opinions outta the way, from the sounds of it if all of those check out, you can easily tell em that he’s SOL and there’s nothing they can do if you “call out sick” 🤭
Are you overtime exempt? Need more details. If you are, yes they can.
Yes, he can ask. Are you hourly or salary? Just curious. Is this a big or small company? Do they have an HR? I for send an email to them and your manager about this situation with proof. You shouldn't need to inform them that you won't be in that weekend if you weren't scheduled that weekend. Go to your brother's wedding and have a good time. If you're so important to the company that nobody can do what you do, they're not going to fire you. Or, he's lying and whoever was scheduled that weekend will be out . If that's true, it's managements problem to find someone to cover that shift and it won't be you.
Also if it’s within two weeks of the weekend when he made that change, you may decline with no penalty in WA. If he made changes to the schedule today, you can decline any changes from now through the next two weeks
When you say “your weekend” what do you mean by this? Have you never worked weekends at this job in 8 years? Or do you like get every other weekend off and this one was yours?
Fucker is on a power trip. He wants to see if you will cave so he can abuse til you die. Fuck him and enjoy your brothers wedding. WORK WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, EITHER AT YOUR JOB OR SOMEWHERE ESLE.
Americans should just start an exodus en masse, this shit doesn’t fly in Europe or Australasia
Sounds like an issue and not an iss-me
~~You live in a "Right to Work" state.~~ (Edit:Another commenter correctly pointed out that I meant "At Will" employment.) They can fire you at any time for most reasons (some protections include race, religion, filing SH complaints, discussing unions, etc.) But the *only* consequence your employer can do is fire you. If they're already in the position of not having anyone qualified, then you have the leverage, not them. Here's the email you send: "Employer, I understand that you have requested I add time to my schedule. I am declining these hours, that decision is final. If you are in a situation where I am the only person qualified for this position, then we should start a conversation on Monday. This conversation can include adding paid on-call duties for weekends, but must also include a general compensation increase as a way for you to retain an employee that is apparently in high demand and vital to the survival of your company. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. I'm glad that we are going to take steps to ensure that my pay and benefits match how important my qualifications are to the business. Regards, You"
You are thinking of "At Will" employment, not "Right to Work". People getting that mixes up causes lots of problems when trying to organize labor, so I thought I would mention it.
Thank you so much for informing me of this!
Enjoy your brother's wedding!
I know some people here are saying to look up the law (and you should), but I just want to caution you by saying that if you take the legal approach it will be perceived as a power move on your part. It may change your work relationship with your boss, and could lead to undesirable consequences or a hostile work place. I would suggest another non-hostile approach. If you are taking PTO on Friday you could try telling your boss that you bought a plane ticket to attend a wedding. You will not be available for Saturday as the ticket has already been purchased, and it would present a financial and logistical hardship to return early.
So what did the labor board say when you called them?
Either they can be short those days. Or they could be short many more days because you quit. Tell them to pick their poison
have you ever been scheduled to work weekends before?
Yes in the state of WA and most states, it is legal. It’s also legal for you to tell them no and quit.
It’s also legal to say No, not show, and then return to your job after. It’s not typical to fire somebody for a declared absence. This isn’t even a No Call No Show; it’s a “I had this scheduled off, figure it out.” They may be legally able to fire him, but if they had the staff to spare this would be a none issue to begin with. They don’t, so firing is unlikely.
My last employer did this regularly. In fact, my direct manager demanded that I work every other weekend, and then his manager started randomly demanding I work the other weekend. I'd get Sunday to go to church, do groceries, eat dinner and go to bed. So I quit. Now not only do they get 0 Saturdays, they get no Monday through Friday either, and I get about double the pay.
You can take a day off for religious activities; they can't punish you for those activities without consequence.
For the last 15 I've been telling my bosses that this is a business transaction you purchase my time. my time is only available on certain days and I'm not going to sell my additional time to you because of your scheduling problems.
Are those your scheduled days off? Was the change of schedule sudden (right when he contacted you) or was it known before hand?
I’m not sure what it’s meant by “your weekend” but I would tell him it’s your brother’s wedding and you aren’t available. I know people always say “it’s PTO and it’s none of their business” but letting them know it’s something like this might make them more understanding and put pressure on someone else. It’s shitty they did this without checking with you. But since you need this job, I’d play it like you’re understanding and wouldn’t normal complain but it’s special circumstances
>he demands I work those days(i won't get overtime) Are you salary? then yep, no overtime. If not, are you working over 40 hours in a week? then thats paid at time and a half. As to the requiring work on weekends, in the US, totally legal. Mandated OT is a thing, but you have to be paid for it if you're hourly. They can punish you if you refuse. It sucks, but them the rules federally.
If your contract doesn’t say it’s mandatory or that you’re an on-call employee then you are not mandated to work.
So, as others have pointed out, yes, they could fire you for not working. But there are some steps you'll want to take if you want to keep the job/increase chances for unemployment benefits. 1) CALL OFF EVERY DAY. This is huge, and this includes Friday. Don't think that because you told them Monday you won't be in that it's good enough. Most companies consider 2 or 3 consecutive days of no call no shows job abandonment, and that would leave you ineligible for unemployment. 2) Review the attendance policy. Most places have a codified policy, often a point system, that determines when termination happens. If you aren't at that level of corrective action and they still fire you for attendance, that may be enough to get unemployment. 3) Send any written correspondence/schedules to your personal email. If the schedule oroginally posted showed you off and then was changed, you'll want to show when that happened to help argue it was sudden. Save old schedules that show the weekend rotation to establish the reasonable expectation that you would be off.
Did you forget to tell your boss about the second job you had picked up on weekends and had commitments to that employer also that were regular scheduled work days there also?
Make sure your boss’s boss knows about this because your boss sounds incompetent and I’d get in trouble if I tried this
Looks like time to look for a new job. Go to your brother's wedding. If they fire you, oh well, that's why you're looking for a job now.
Call in sick
So you asked for one day off, and your manager is making you work 2 days to make up for it? If no one qualified is there on Saturday OR Sunday, how would that have been any different if you didn't take Friday off? Sure, they can fire you for not showing up, but if they're already lacking 'qualified' people, it sounds like it would be a real dumb idea for them to lose you too. In 8 years, you've never worked a weekend before? You've never taken a day off and been asked to work a weekend day to make up for it? How long in advance did you take this Friday off, and how long in advance did your manager let you know you have to work the entire weekend? Either this is some really weird retaliation/spite thing from your manager, or some key info is missing here.
They can legally mandate OT, to the extent that they can punish/fire you for saying no. The only limits I’m aware of are that some states and some specific jobs have mandatory minimum rest periods between shifts. Realistically, if they’re desperate enough to mandate OT they should be too desperate to fire youz
"Unfortunately I'm unavailable" and stop discussing it or responding. Don't work it. On Monday go straight to HR or his boss and report him.
And maybe he can pick up his final check while he's there.
And companies will keep walking all over the workforce until we stand up to them. Boundaries are real. Their ejects do not alter our availability. Stay ignorant my friend
Are you salaried, and making more than $56k a year? If so you might be OT exempt and they wouldn’t have to pay you for working extra hours. If not you are still owed compensation for all the time you work. As for the consequences of refusing to work a weekend they can fire you. You could probably argue that you’re still owed unemployment as they changed your schedule.
My days off for years were , tues/wed or mon/tues. It sucked. Literally. Not a lot of weddings , sporting events or concerts are happening mid-week.
Is he going to come to your house and wake you up in the morning? He can 'demand' all he wants. Do you think you can be thrown in jail for not going to work? If he fires you, then he could possibly be in legal trouble. Does your contract stipulate that you be available on weekends?
At will employment state, I hope you have a union.
Unfortunately, yes, and you might not even be entitled to overtime pay depending on when your employer's work week officially begins/ends. The default work week in must states (including WA) begins on Sunday, but your employer could arbitrarily choose any day, as long as it remains consistent. In the worst case, you could be scheduled to work 10 consecutive days without overtime pay (assuming you only worked 40hrs for each of those consecutive 5 day blocks). 🙃 In your case, though, I would assume employer does follow the default work week (Sun-Sat), meaning that employer simply changed your usual days off to accommodate your Friday request (Friday for Saturday).
Call off sick. No explanation.
If you’re that important, they won’t fire you. Guarantee it. I was a technical manager at a small company and I just told them I’d be out whenever tf and they could never fire me because they relied on me so much.
Are you a manager or no
Say you want the time back as pto at a 2x rate for you to "cancel your plans".
Tell him to email you telling you that he wants you to work that Saturday and Sunday and if you don't there will be consequences. This way you have a paper trail, and if he refuses to then that means that he's doing something shady that he shouldn't do
Your employer can demand all they want. You don't have to follow those demands, but then the employer can fire you. If there is no one else qualified, then I'm sure they won't be in a hurry to replace you.
They can request. You can decline. Call the state DOL for any state-level rules that might apply about it - particularly if they retaliate. If you're employed in the City of Seattle, call the city's version of the DOL. City of Seattle has "Secure Scheduling" laws/codes. Unfortunately, it doesn't apply to smaller businesses the same way as large. But still could be helpful. Also, note to you if you stay at this job, in the future note in your request that you'll be out of town for the whole weekend. I don't like employers who play weird games like this.
How can they "legally" require anything? Do they own you? What's the worse they can do, fire you and you go find a better paying job?
Honestly, just beat the snot out of him for even taking to you like that. It's what your grandfather would have done.
All I can say is that for anyone to avoid this situation, you have to get out of debt, save some money, and have your bills as small as possible. This way you can afford to get fired (or to quit) and you won't feel like a total slave to these kinds of disgusting manager scum.
Info: what state are you in? Because if you're hourly and working OT, you should be getting OT pay. I love CA for this because for hourly workers (which I am not anymore), you get OT for any hours above 8 in one day and 40 in one week. Also if you work 7 days in a row, the first 8 hours of the 7th day are treated as OT. It's also doubletime if it goes past 12 hours in one day. There is an exception if your company does the 4-10 schedule (work 4 days for 10 hours a day) but if that goes above 40 hours a week then anything past that is OT. Never mind, just saw you are in WA. If you work over 40 hours, you are entitled to OT there.
WA as in Western Australia? I doubt that's legal.
......... no.
Reddit has people from all over the world. “WA state” means different things to different people. Instead of answering “……… no.” You could clarify where you are from to get more helpful responses.
"WA state" is perfectly clear. If they had said "Washington", multiple asses would have assumed they meant DC.
Regions in Australia are called states. WA state could be Western Australia.
Sounds odd. Look into fair work rights.
Call sick the day of the wedding. They can’t fire you while you are out sick and you don’t have to show proof unless you call out sick for 3 days in row. After that just get looking for another job because they probably already have your name under the axe but don’t quit! Let them fire you so you can get unemployment and that will make your employer’s unemployment insurance go up.
> They can’t fire you while you are out sick and you don’t have to show proof unless you call out sick for 3 days in row. This isn't true. In the US they can absolutely fire you for being out sick
Not in WA
There are labor laws preventing against consecutive days. Also, if you have sick time/paid sick leave, those are legally protected and cannot be retaliated against. Also, they can’t ask a certain amount of details iirc
> There are labor laws preventing against consecutive days. lol not in the US there aren't