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Life | Office issues
My Boss Didn’t Respect Boundaries — So I Set Them Loudly
My boss used to message me at 11 p.m. I’d get pings on weekends, on holidays, even when I was out sick. At first, I answered. I believed that responding would help me maintain good relationships. I thought it showed I cared.
It didn’t.
The more I replied, the more he messaged. Tasks that could wait until Monday became Friday night “emergencies.” Ideas that could have been emails became late-night calls. He expected me to be “on” all the time. I started checking my phone the second I woke up. I couldn’t relax. I didn’t sleep well. I was always tense, waiting for the next message.
When I spoke up, he brushed it off.
“It’s just a quick check-in.”
“You’re a team player, right?”
I would rather not seem lazy. I would rather not get labeled “difficult.” So I stayed quiet. But inside, I was burning out. I was doing my work and his work and still being made to feel like I wasn’t doing enough.
One day, he called during my lunch break. It wasn’t an urgent matter. He simply wanted to discuss ideas aloud while I was eating. I said, “Hey, I’m on break. Can we talk after?”
