New Employee Notifies Manager At 3 AM About Missing Work, Wonders Why Manager Is Mad

"My manager has never really seemed to like me"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• October 11, 2023

Starting a new job, especially in a field you don't know much about, can be tough. You have to work extra hard to prove yourself to your boss.

But sometimes, even when you're trying to do your best, things can go wrong, just like what happened to OP.

OP, who has been working at his current job for just over a month, finds himself in a situation with his manager. Despite feeling that his manager hasn't been particularly friendly due to his relative inexperience, OP values his manager's expertise and is willing to endure occasional blunt comments.

One night, OP wakes up feeling nauseous at 3 a.m. and sends a text to his manager to inform her about his condition, apologizing for the late message. This was done to allow his manager to find a replacement if necessary.

Later, OP realizes he forgot to disable his alarms and notices that his manager hasn't replied. He called to confirm she had seen the message, to which she replied that it was unprofessional to text her at that hour, citing her insomnia and the disturbance it caused.

OP is now torn between whether he was wrong in this situation, considering his manager's past behavior. OP seeks an unbiased opinion on the matter.

OP has been working at this place for just over a month, and his manager has been condescending and occasionally rude to him because he is new in this field.

OP felt really sick at 3 a.m., so he texted his manager to ensure she could find someone to cover for him, but she criticized him for texting at that hour

OP did this just because he thought it was a way to be helpful.

Slim chance the boss would scramble for a replacement at 3 a.m.

Waiting until morning is a better approach.

OP should notify the supervisor during business hours in the future to avoid any inconvenience

Texting late should only be for emergencies.

Communication issues may be due to generational differences

Sending a 3 am text can be considered rude since some keep their phones on for emergencies.

OP is not in the wrong

OP responsibly informed his boss about his sickness at 3 a.m., ensuring she was aware of the situation when she woke up.

Her insomnia and phone settings are her responsibility.

OP's intention in texting his manager in the middle of the night was to be responsible and ensure that the work shift was covered in case of illness. While the manager's response citing insomnia as a reason for feeling disturbed is valid, it's essential to consider the context.

In many workplaces, such early notifications are appreciated and accepted as a part of the job, especially when dealing with unexpected situations.

In this case, it doesn't seem that OP was wrong for texting their manager under the circumstances. It was a well-intentioned action aimed at maintaining professionalism at work.

However, now that he's aware of the manager's response, in future instances, OP should consider delaying communication until the morning when informing her about similar situations.

Damjan