I Gave You Time Off But Not Really

(I work weekends at a small and somewhat-rundown hotel. The atmosphere is rather laid-back, but lately, the GM has had a bug up her butt, nitpicking about the smallest things and driving all the front desk staff mad with her nagging. We’ve just had a staff meeting, which she spends threatening the lot of us over a series of pointless online training modules. She promises that anyone who doesn’t have the full series — a total of about 100 hours’ worth — done by the end of the current work week will be taken off the schedule until they’ve finished. This is impossible in and of itself, but I make a valiant effort, working from home despite a heavy college course load and logging my hours. Unfortunately, I happen to come down with a severe case of food poisoning that, in the latter half of the week, prevents me from doing anything other than vomit and writhe in pain. Despite being completely overwhelmed with classwork, I miss three days of school due to my illness and stop doing the modules. On Thursday, I receive a text message: I am due to work Saturday.)

General Manager: “I’ve noticed you haven’t done any training in the last few days. Are you going to have them done by tomorrow?”

Me: “Hi, [General Manager]. I haven’t been able to work on the modules because I’ve been incredibly ill for the last three days. I haven’t even been able to go to class. I still have a fair amount to do, so I definitely won’t be done by tomorrow. I’m trying to focus on getting well right now. Do you still want me to come in this weekend?”

(I receive no response. Several hours later, I text her again.)

Me: “If you need to take me off the schedule until I can get the training done, I understand. You’re doing your job. If that’s the way it has to be, at least I’ll have the time over that weekend to dedicate exclusively to the training, and then it won’t be a concern any longer. Just let me know; there won’t be any sort of animosity over it!”

(She still doesn’t respond. The following day, I send a simpler message and finally get a response.)

Me: “So, what do you want me to do as far as this weekend goes?”

General Manager: “I have someone covering your shifts. You can concentrate on your training.”

(Come Saturday, I am feeling better. As instructed, I don’t go in, instead focusing on the modules. I am in the middle of working on them when I get a call from my coworker. It’s 15 minutes after my shift usually starts.)

Coworker: “Are you almost here?”

Me: “I’m not due in today. [GM] took me off the schedule since I was too sick to finish the modules in time.”

Coworker: “Do you know who’s supposed to come in?”

Me: “She didn’t tell me, no. Maybe give her a call and ask?”

Coworker: “Will do!”

(Not five minutes later, my phone rings again; it’s the GM.)

General Manager: *IMMEDIATELY nasty* “Why are you not at the hotel?!”

Me: “Because you took me off the schedule? I’m at home, working on modules like you told me to. You said you had my shifts covered.”

General Manager: “I didn’t actually get anybody! I wanted you to go in and work on the modules while working the desk! Why would you think you didn’t have to go in?!”

Me: “I literally have texts from you, saying that you found coverage and to focus on training modules. I asked you several times.”

General Manager: “I never said that!”

Me: “I can send you screenshots if you’d like. I’m looking at the messages right now.”

General Manager: “You need to go in and relieve [Coworker] right now!”

Me: “I can’t. You told me I was off the schedule and I planned accordingly. I have a meeting with one of my professors in 45 minutes and I don’t know how long it’ll last. Then, I’ll have to go back home, change, and head into work, and it takes 30 minutes to get there. The absolute earliest I’ll be able to get in is 6:30 or 7:00.”

General Manager: “You need to be there by 6:00 at the latest. I cannot even fathom why you thought you didn’t have to work today!”

Me: “I really don’t know what to tell you. I’m sorry for the miscommunication, but this is your oversight, not mine. You told me you had the shifts covered.”

General Manager: “WHY WOULD YOU NOT COME IN?! I DIDN’T EVEN ASK ANYONE TO COVER YOU BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU’D HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO BE THERE!”

Me: “So… you told me you had the shifts covered when you didn’t even ask anyone to work?”

General Manager: “Be there by 6:00.”

(She hung up. Thankfully, my meeting ended quickly and I made it in at around 6:15. My coworker was very understanding, but I was livid. I put in my notice a week later, due to this and several other incidents, and the coworker quit shortly thereafter due to rapidly-increasing volumes of bulls***.)