Employees are forbidden from making plans after work: "I might need you at any moment"
If you are a full-time worker, you will surely have heard many people ask you the question: "What do you do after work?" Many will shrug in a non-commital way, while others will reply that after work they take the time to do their household chores, enjoy their down time or simply by relaxing doing nothing in particular. However, there are organisations that put a lot of pressure on its employees, encouraging them not to make commitments after working hours because by doing so and technically being free, they could be useful and available to the company after their normal shifts. This is exploitation that should, in some, if not all cases, be strongly denounced.
via Reddit
An anonymous employee posted a screenshot of a private message received from his boss to Reddit. The man who posted the screenshot works as an employee for a company that provides the service of delivering pizza to homes. The employee said that his boss had urged him, and his other colleagues, not to make commitments or plans after working hours, because they could still be useful to him. If they had not accepted this requirement, they would have run the risk of being fired.
Fortunately, the author of the Reddit post published the boss's message in full showing the outrageous and unreasonable request, which reads: "From now on I recommend that you only make plans on the days you are not working. If the restaurant needs you, even after your working hours, I will expect you to show up. The delivery guys also need to have their cell phones charged at all times. If your phone's battery is about to die, you can borrow a charger from anyone. "
Starlit Beaches/Flickr - Not The Actual Photo
Obviously, Reddit users who read the post of the anonymous employee took his side in denouncing this demand. Among those who commented, one said: "This person does not own you and cannot force you to work after your shift. You know the law does not allow this, so don't let your boss treat you this way. If he fires you after you defended your rights, call a lawyer and sue him." Other readers said,"They can't force you to stay and work beyond your agreed hours. Keep the messages he sent you, report the company and threaten to sue them." All readers had only words of support for the exploited employee and his colleagues.
And you, what do you think about this? In your opinion, is the boss being reasonable to ask for his employees to be available outside their working hours, or could this be considered an "abuse of power"?
