My boss told me I have to work unpaid overtime “for our work family.” I said no — I already work 50-hour weeks and raise two kids as a single mom. My evenings are for homework help, dinner, and bedtime stories, not free work for a company that barely pays me enough to cover daycare.
He smiled and said, “I understand completely” in that fake sympathetic way managers do. I thought that was the end of it and felt relieved that he didn’t push back or make it awkward.
Monday morning, imagine my horror when he gathered the whole office and announced loudly: “Everyone, I want you to know that Jennifer has decided she’s too busy with her personal life to help the team during our busy season. While the rest of us will be pulling together to meet our deadlines, Jennifer will be leaving at exactly 5 PM every day. I just wanted everyone to be aware of who’s committed to our success here.”
The room went silent. My coworkers looked uncomfortable, and I felt my face turn bright red.
Now half the office thinks I’m lazy and uncommitted, while the other half feels pressured to work unpaid hours to avoid the same public humiliation. Some colleagues have started making passive-aggressive comments about my “work-life balance” and how nice it must be to have such clear boundaries.
I’m questioning everything now. Maybe I should have just worked the extra hours. My kids would have understood, right.
But then again, why should I work for free when I can barely make ends meet as it is. I don’t know if I should apologize, look for a new job, or stand my ground. I need advice on how to handle this situation.
Source: brightside.me