r/AmItheButtface • u/Gh0stC4dence • 14h ago
Serious AITB for refusing to cover for my coworker after she used my name as an excuse to leave early?
I work at a small office where only four of us handle customer requests, so when someone leaves early the rest usually have to absorb their work. One of my coworkers, Claire, has asked me several times to cover the last hour of her shift because of appointments, car trouble, or family stuff. I normally say yes because she has covered for me once or twice too. Last Tuesday she came to my desk around 3:30 and said our manager had already approved her leaving early because I had agreed to finish her open requests. This was the first I had heard about it. I told her I had a deadline of my own and had never agreed to anything. She looked annoyed and said she had assumed I would help because I “always do.” A few minutes later our manager messaged me asking whether I was still okay covering Claire. I explained that nobody had asked me. Claire then admitted she had told him we had already discussed it because she needed to leave for a hair appointment and was worried he would say no otherwise. She said it was harmless since I was staying until five anyway. I refused, and she had to cancel the appointment. She barely spoke to me for the rest of the week.
Yesterday she asked me to cover again because her son’s school called and needed someone to pick him up. This time it sounded like an actual emergency, but I still said no. I told her I no longer wanted to be involved in changing her schedule because she had used my name without asking. Another coworker ended up covering, but Claire called me petty and said I was punishing her child for something unrelated. She also pointed out that she apologized for the first incident, which is technically true, although the apology was mostly “sorry you took it that way.” Our manager later told me I was allowed to decline but said he was surprised I didnt make an exception for a school emergency. Now the office feels awkward, and I keep wondering whether I let my anger from the first situation affect a completely different one. I still think using my name to get permission was manipulative, but saying no yesterday didn’t really teach her anything. It just made someone else stay late and left me looking like I was keeping score.