- Senior asked employee to work beyond 12 PM-9 PM shift hours on Reddit post
- Employee declined routine after-hours work, citing personal commitments and emergencies
- Senior requested employee to email the refusal, causing employee concern of escalation
Having boundaries in a professional setting is essential to maintaining a proper work-life balance, but every once in a while, the higher-ups end up crossing that line. A similar incident happened with a Redditor who shared a screenshot of their conversation with a senior who asked them to work after the shift.
In a now-viral Reddit post titled, "Senior asked me to work after hours. What do I do now?" the user sought advice from the internet after giving a stern reply to the senior.
"Okay, so a senior of mine in my team asked me to work after shift hours on something. Honestly, my shift timings are from 12 PM - 9 PM IST, and I can work for some days when there's a requirement. But I don't want to make it a habit or routine & give the idea that they can take advantage of my after-hours time," the user wrote in the r/IndianWorkplace subreddit.
In the text screenshot, the user told the boss that they are available to work in emergencies but won't commit beyond working hours.
“Sorry, I am happy to work as much as needed and for as long as required within my shift hours. However, I have some personal commitments after that, so I'll need to prioritise those once my shift ends. I can be available if there is an emergency, but I won't be able to commit to working beyond my shift hours. Thank you for understanding.”
The senior's response was brief: “Can you send the same in the email to me?”, which made the employee uneasy. They wondered whether it was an attempt to label them as “not flexible” or escalate the matter to HR.
Check the viral post here
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community on Reddit
'Tell him to...'
As the post gained traction, social media users advised the individual to enclose the screenshot in the mail to keep all bases covered.
"Tell him to drop a mail asking for overtime work," said one user, while another added: "All the replies have great suggestions. Also, stop responding to messages once your shift ends, then you won't be accountable for a reply. Come back the next day and just say you were occupied with personal work."
A third commented: "If you're sending this in email, do include a screenshot of the WhatsApp text as well. Your senior's texts should be visible where he's asking you to work after your shift hours."
A fourth said: "The first rule of surviving Indian work culture is never saying no. But that doesn't mean saying yes as well. Whenever this happens, try not to acknowledge the text. If someone calls you after work hours, do not respond. Once in a while, do respond and get things done. This keeps you on good terms."
Last week, another viral post showed a manager refusing to grant leave to an employee who shared a screenshot of the WhatsApp texts. Despite the employee repeatedly stating that they had a headache, the manager refused to budge, asking the former to come to the office after taking medicine.