Shifty Behavior

(My coworker has a habit of asking others to cover his shifts during his night shift. I’m a popular target, because I need the extra money and usually don’t say no. I’m also a student worker so the number of hours I can work are limited so I have time to study.)

Coworker: “Hey, do you mind covering for me on Thursday?”

Me: “I would but I’ve already worked eighteen hours this week. I’ll go over.”

Coworker: “That’s okay. You can just put it on my time sheet.”

Me: *after absorbing the shock* “You want me to give you credit for work I have done?”

Coworker: “Yeah. I haven’t been getting paid as much as usual.”

Me: “Because you never work when you’re scheduled. You have the rest of us do it.”

Coworker: “The night shift just doesn’t work for me.”

Me: “Then ask [Boss] to change our schedules. You can switch with me and work on Monday mornings.”

Coworker: “That won’t work either; I’m not a morning person.”

Me: “Then you’re out of luck. You don’t like nights and you don’t like mornings and [Other Coworker] needs the middle shift so he can take his kids to school. You need to work one or the other.”

Coworker: “But you’re covering for me this week.”

Me: “No. I’ll go over my hours.”

Coworker: “Just put it on my timesheet.”

Me: “I will not let you get paid for work that I have done. Ask someone else or switch hours with me.”

(He eventually took the Monday shift and hasn’t missed a shift since.)