This is absurd, right?

[Ann.without.an.e]

Oldest DD has been working as a contractor for a company in California part-time remote. She is coaching and helping high school students edit college app essays. She enjoys the students and she has a lot of experience as a writing consultant. She is paid per hour that she is helping students. The lady over her is very high needs. She calls dd a lot for the stupidest things (pop quiz on something very basic that dd has known for a long time or to ask questions dd has already answered in emails). They had a staff meeting via zoom two weeks ago and dd asked this lady if her camera could be off since she’s had a lot of morning sickness and felt like she may vomit. The lady said sure, its was perfectly fine. Afterward, she called dd saying the owner of the company was upset that DD’s camera was off and he is worried that she would do that with a student (she’d never do that with a student and she requested permission for this circumstance). She was really upset at dd because the owner was upset too. 
Fast forward, this lady tried to call dd all weekend. Dd knows her calls are always pointless and she thought she’d set a precedent of not answering on the weekend for a part time contract job. When dd didn’t answer, this lady reached out to a good friend of mine to see if there was an alternate way to contact dd (friend was listed as a reference). So DD didn’t answer a call on the weekend so this lady starts calling DD’s references? Dd reached out to her on Monday and the lady was super upset (I couldn’t get a hold of you ALL weekend, this is ridiculous). Dd said she was planning to call her back Monday and that is what she was doing. This lady was bugging dd to ask yet another question that dd had already answered via email. Dd mentioned in convo the morning sickness being bad but she’s never missed a meeting with a student at all. Dd got an email on Tuesday saying that she was removed from the schedule and couldn’t be added back until she had a doctor’s note. Let me repeat, dd has never missed a session with a student and this lady was just upset that she didn’t get ahold of dd all weekend to ask a question dd had already answered?? Dd isn’t even paid for the time this lady bugs her, she’s only paid for time with students. And as a contractor, they can’t even require a doctor’s note from her. Dd sent in her resignation. But this is ridiculous right? Dd says every consultant is new this year and she now knows why they can’t keep people. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[Katy]

It’s ridiculous, yes. I would respond tjat if she insists on a doctors note she’s going to insist on being paid an on-call rate for all the off-duty time she is required to immediately answer. Anything else is a violation of California’s employment law. 

[Jenny in Florida]

Yes, it's ridiculous. I'm sorry your daughter had a bad experience, and I hope she finds another gig that works better for her soon.

[SKL]

I had a boss kinda like that.  I resigned too.  😛  It's impossible to deal with such people in a sane manner.

[fraidycat]

Yes, that's ridiculous. Good for your DD for not putting up with it.

[mommyoffive]

I vote for crazy too.  I am sorry she had to put up with that.  I think she did the right thing by getting out.  I hope she finds a way better place to work.

[Arcadia]

14 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Oldest DD has been working as a contractor for a company in California part-time remote. She is coaching and helping high school students edit college app essays. 

This micromanaging and anxious lady “supervisor” is probably in the wrong job. The ones I have encountered all had family members and friends to fall back on for 24/7 response to high paying clients. The contractors are usually doing the “lower profile” cases where customers do not expect the consultants to be at their beck and call.

[Heartstrings]

The saying that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers seems to apply here.  

[Elizabeth86]

That’s ridiculous! 

[footballmom]

I would be very tempted to send an email to company owner that DD’s supervisor was expecting her to be available outside of contracted work hours and was not compensated for this time.  Since this violates California’s labor laws and her rights as a contractor, DD thought the company owner should be aware of the illegal treatment and that it has forced her resignation.  
 

I don’t always choose the path of direct confrontation, but this would accomplish so much.

[KungFuPanda]

She needs to go over this lady’s head. If she’s a weird control freak the company needs to know how she’s treating people. If this is the company culture and they’re encouraging this behavior then your daughter needs to know so she can plan her next move. 

[kbutton]

On 8/18/2022 at 6:27 PM, footballmom said:

I would be very tempted to send an email to company owner that DD’s supervisor was expecting her to be available outside of contracted work hours and was not compensated for this time.  Since this violates California’s labor laws and her rights as a contractor, DD thought the company owner should be aware of the illegal treatment and that it has forced her resignation.  
 

I don’t always choose the path of direct confrontation, but this would accomplish so much.

I agree totally.

I had to go over the head of an incompetent boss once, and it did nothing but good things for me, and I am pretty sure it helped document the kinds of stress other employees were facing when they had to work with him. He was not micromanaging, thank goodness, just incompetent. Micromanaging wouldn't have gone over well either.