Finding work-life balance is difficult regardless of your profession. With the ease of accessibility — thanks, cell phones — it’s imperative that employees set boundaries about what is and what isn’t acceptable when it comes to contact outside of normal working hours. For one teacher, however, her principal proved persistent when it came to bugging her well past what anyone would consider appropriate.
Turning to Reddit to vent, the teacher explained, “I won’t get into the trivial matter specifics, but it was not student-related and was about an email I had sent last week requesting edit access to a Google Doc.” Adding, “I’m perusing Reddit in my jammies, waiting for my melatonin to kick in. Phone rings.”
Enforcing her boundaries with work, she refused to answer. However, the calls and texts only continued to roll in, the last of which included an “ultimatum” from her boss.
A principal reprimanded a teacher for not answering his calls or texts at 8 p.m.
A 2022 Gallup poll found that 44% of teachers are burned out “often or always” at work. This is the highest rate of burnout out of every industry in the U.S.
They’re not only overworked and underpaid during working hours but also burdened with large workloads outside of them.
So, when this teacher realized it was her principal calling her at 8 p.m. on a weekday, she had no problem silencing his calls. “[He] was like, ‘You’re not going to answer?’ Nope,” she blatantly wrote. “I was told during COVID that we don’t work in our pajamas. I’m in my pajamas, so I’m not working.”
Higher education expert Dr. VaNessa Thompson commended this teacher’s boundaries, arguing that every professional should learn a thing or two about “not answering” unwarranted calls and questions outside of their working hours.
“I remember working at a place where that was the unexpected norm,” she said, “but when it came to my mental health, I was not doing well at all.”
The principal went so far as to tell the teacher she needed to either answer his call or respond to his email by 8 a.m.
“Not 30 seconds later, the text chimes. Twice. ‘Did you see my email?’” the teacher wrote. “‘I’m going to call again. Please answer regarding [same trivial matter] or respond to email by 8 AM.’”
Considering her boss’ misplaced sense of urgency, commenters urged her to relay the communication to HR.
“It’s hard to believe that this email couldn’t wait until morning,” one person wrote under the post. “He’s clearly taking advantage of his staff … Props to you for maintaining your balance.”
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While she was intentionally ignoring his calls, this principal had no grounds to be upset, at least not enough to truly reprimand her on the clock.
How else could his staff and teachers show up for their students at their best, if they didn’t take time off the clock to rest.
HR encouraged the teacher not to respond outside working hours, but her principal continued to push her boundaries.
“I don’t need to do anything at 8 PM for work,” the teacher wrote. “You most certainly are not giving me an ultimatum to respond to anything before contractual hours, when it’s nothing that needs to be dealt with.”
“I advocate for developing paper trails when you’re going to advocate for yourself against mistreatment,” employment attorney Mahir S. Nisar on TikTok shared about setting work boundaries with your boss.
Especially for this teacher, who already received support from HR, it’s necessary to continue enforcing those clear expectations with her boss.
Of course, teachers tend to work complicated hours that extend into their time at home and during the summer. However, prioritizing the work that needs to be done and can wait for when you’re physically at school is incredibly important.
Everyone deserves to live their personal life without the constant burden and stress of work. It’s just a job. It might mean a lot to you or be your main source of income to live, but that doesn’t mean it should consume you.
Set those boundaries, have difficult conversations, and make space to enjoy your time away.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
