How to address a manager who crosses work-life boundaries
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Anonymous
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This week I have been home sick. I'm of the mindset, unless it's a time sensitive matter or of the utmost importance, coworkers should not contact you and a. Ask you to attend conference calls, webinars and meetings when you have taken a sick day b. Contact you on your personal (not work) email and cell via text and request documents or status updates. My manager constantly texts us if we are home I'll asking us to take calls. I'm in a federal role where the majority of the day is leading and facilitating conference calls and meetings. After being worn down and sick, I took a day with one minor meeting rather than yesterday with four major meetings and have my manager and our big boss, who is my supervisor, notice.
Now I have a text from my manager: hey! Are you going to call in to X meeting? Separate text (after I responded no I'm home sick--I have an out of office message on my VM, BB, email and had emailed and called her this morning at 8:30): please send me what you have on X. I don't have the materials home with me and I'm home sick. I've had conversations with her as hsve team members about not contacting me when I'm out sick as im not checking work email or voicemail and to only contact me on my personal number in urgent matters. What can I do? I'm a high GS-13 in a federal agency. Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
| If I were in a job where vacation and sick time were all lumped into one basket, I wouldn't do anything on the days I was out sick. But given that I've got separate vacation and unlimited sick leave, I do what I can from home. I haven't been sick beyond a mild cold in several years, so I'm willing to work for a few hours and join in on calls. |
Anonymous
| If you are a federal employee, you may not -- by law -- do work while on leave. This is inappropriate. |
Anonymous
| I am a federal employee. I know it's insppropriate but how do I address beyond what I've already said? I really like her but this is killing me! |
Anonymous
| Your manager sounds like a control freak/moron. As was noted, sick leave is sick leave. Any time they are making you work they must compensate you for it. I'd leave this job. What a freak show. |
Anonymous
Just don't respond. When you get back to work and she's all "WTH? I texted you!" be like "Oh, sorry. As I told you, I was sick. I didn't see your text because I was sleeping and had a fever." If you're taking a sick day you're not working. If you're working from home because you're under the weather then you're working. Just be non-responsive once you've announced you're home sick. |
Anonymous
| Are you really sick? |
Anonymous
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First, this sounds like a stressful situation and I empathize.
Is your phone work-issued? If not, I would consider blocking her or changing your phone number. It's not appropriate for a manager to text employees. All requests for your time and similar communication should be through your work-issued email so that it is documented. I have had success with, "Please email me and copy my manager with any assignments or requests to attend meetings so that I can arrange my schedule, prioritize any conflicts, and elevate to my manager, as necessary." |
Anonymous
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Yes I'm really sick. My husband was sick all last week and working full time and caring for my infant son caught up on me.
I am a good employee. I consistently receive exceptional (highest rating) ratings at work which is rare. |
Anonymous
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I have a separate work issued blackberry but she is contacting me on my cell. We travel together often and my cell is my home number for flexiplace so she has that number. I only communicate with Her on her work phone.
I'm actively seeking a new job, which is unfortunate as I really like my job, team even my manager. The weird thing is my supervisor is not her supervisor. And she functions more like a non-supervisory team leader for those of you in the government. We are both "senior advisors" in our agency. |
Anonymous
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OP, you are well enough to check your personal emails and text messages to see tat work is trying to contact you via your personal account but too sick to check your work accounts?
Just turn off your phone and don't check your messages. |
Anonymous
She sounds like a "see you next tuesday" |
Anonymous
| I know that I am going to be a stick in the mud here but here goes. I am a GS-14 and I have a boss like that and I have learned to manage up. If I am out sick and can function even a little, I send her an email emphasizing that I am sick, that I will not be on any calls BUT here are the things in my sphere that she might have to deal with that day with a short blurb on status. It is less than ideal, but I find that my boss gets antsy about the prospect of being questioned by her boss and not having answesr. It may not be something that you want to do, but that is how I have addressed it. |
Anonymous
| Federal manager here, and I agree with 14:46. Especially because, OP, you say that you are in a role where your primary function is to lead and facilitate conference calls and meetings. I feel for you, really, but I think some proactive communication when you're out -- I'm sick, this is what's on deck for me today and what you, manager, might need to know to cover in my absence -- might go a long way? You shouldn't have to work when you're sick, and setting some boundaries on your end is just fine (e.g. not checking work e-mail). But I also think it's fair to say that -- sick or not -- you're still responsible for the work assigned to you and need to make sure that whoever is at the office knows what they need to know to function in your absence. |
Anonymous
| At my office, unfortunately, the culture is to check email and call in while sick. I have always found this a little crazy. But sometimes "sick" means having a loud cough that would disturb everyone in the office but feeling OK, and sometimes sick is really sick - so it depends. |