Redditor Asks If She's An A**hole For Blocking Her Coworker's Number

"She made her own bed on this one."

Stephanie

• Published in Interesting
• October 15, 2023

Establishing clear boundaries between our work and personal life is crucial for our well-being. So, when a colleague pushed one Redditor's boundaries, she taught them a lesson.

Reddit user u/Chaos_Theory0723 shared her story in the r/AITA (Am I The A**hole?) subreddit. She explained that as a waitress, she uses an app to track her shifts and communicate with coworkers.

At her last job, the OP decided to allow her coworkers to contact her on her personal number, but this soon became annoying because they would take advantage of the privilege. So, when she started her new job, the OP chose to solely communicate with her coworkers via the app.

However, the Redditor says she still has coworkers texting her on her personal number, although she isn't sure how they are getting it. So, usually, the OP responds with a simple, "I don't communicate work matters through my number; please send me a message through the app," and that gets the message across.

Not this time, though. One of the OP's coworkers texted her at 5 AM on Friday, asking her to cover her Saturday shift.

When the OP sent her usual reply, the coworker continued to text, saying it would only take a moment and texting was faster. The Redditor reiterated that she would only discuss shifts via the app.

But the coworker kept going, saying how desperately she needed the OP to cover her shift. So, the OP repeated herself again and then blocked her coworker's number.

When the OP got to work for her next shift, she was confronted by her manager, asking why she hadn't shown up to cover her coworker's shift. So, the Redditor explained what had happened and showed her the messages.

The following Monday, the OP was approached by her coworker, who was angry because she had gotten in trouble for missing her shift. The OP reminded her coworker that she had never agreed to cover her shift.

When the OP told her coworker that she had blocked her number, she was angry, calling her "rude" and "inconsiderate." Now the OP is wondering if she was the a**hole here.

The Redditor asked if she was an a**hole for blocking her coworker's number.

She explained that she is a waitress, and her workplace uses an app to keep track of shifts.

In her previous job, the OP allowed her coworker's to text her personal number regarding shifts.

The OP prefers to use the app so she can keep her work and personal life separate.

When coworker's text her private number, the OP asks them to please use the app instead.

The OP reiterated her point to her coworker.

After that, the OP blocked her coworker's number.

When she arrived at work, she was confronted by her manager.

The OP's coworker is angry with her because she is now in trouble for missing her shift.

The OP told her she had blocked her number.

Now the OP is wondering if she's the a**hole here.

Here's how people reacted.

"You are allowed to set boundaries."

"She should've listened to your boundary."

She did it to herself.

NTA.

"She made her own bed on this one."

"She got well-deserved consequences."

"She refused to take 'no' for an answer."

"She sounds completely annoying."

"Chats on work apps are tracked."

What are your thoughts on this situation? Do you think the OP was being rude for blocking her coworker's number, or was she simply doing what was necessary to protect her boundaries?

We would love to hear your opinions on this topic. You can share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

Stephanie