It Doesn’t Have To Make Sense; I’ll Follow It If You Insist

Our workplace follows a bi-weekly work schedule. I am one of three cooks that work. With agreement from our boss, [Coworker] and I switch some shifts on every schedule. This schedule is sent via text and a physical copy is posted at work.

[Coworker] was scheduled to work this time as I gave notice a month ahead for those days off. [Boss] likes to copy and paste schedules; he screws up by posting the physical copy stating that I’m supposed to work those days that I’m off, and he sends the text copy correctly stating my days off.

My supervisor is following the physical copy. She calls me one day that I’m off.

Supervisor: “You’re thirty minutes late! Where are you?!”

Me: *Confused* “I have the day off today. I can’t come in.”

Supervisor: “You were scheduled to work today. You’ll be getting a warning for a no-show.”

The next day, I get a call from [Boss] about my no-show. He doesn’t care that the schedule was wrong and not matching.

Boss: “If you miss today, you’ll be written up. You must follow the schedule at work.”

He can’t schedule anyone else as nobody wants extra shifts besides [Coworker], [Coworker # 2], and me, and he can’t hire anyone as there’s not enough business.

The next month rolls around. [Coworker] is quitting and has already given his two-week notice. The new schedule shows up and I notice… the schedules. Don’t. Match. [Coworker] is assigned to work Friday and Saturday when he will already be gone by then.

So, after closing on Thursday night, I mute my phone from work and I head home to have a few drinks. I come back to work on Sunday and [Boss] is waiting.

Boss: “You missed work yesterday, and I had to fill in for you as nobody else could!”

Me: “I was only just following the work schedule exactly.”

Oh, man, he was furious. But after calming down, he did a 180° as he had no one the next week to cover those days! I just said I couldn’t work those days.

The next week came. I was at my mom’s work friend’s party, and I saw [Boss]’s wife there.

Me: “Where’s [Boss]?”

Boss’s Wife: “He couldn’t make it as he needed to cover some shifts at work.”

Me: “That’s too bad. He probably should’ve scheduled someone.”