next »

[researchprof]

I’m a researcher at a University in Georgia. Last week my boss stated that all staff including me would be required to spend half a day doing volunteer work which involves either making sandwiches for homeless people or delivering the sandwiches to their homes. I didn’t go to this (I went to work instead) because I was inundated with deadlines which I felt I wouldn’t be able to honor if I did not spend the time on my work.   My boss is now alleging that my failure to do the "mandatory voluntary work" is insubordination. I’d be grateful for any advice on my rights with regard to this issue.

[octoprof]

I'm all for volunteering when it's actually volunteering.

How exactly is this particular (mandatory) volunteering related to your job?

[mended_drum]

Do you have a job description with your duties and responsibilities clearly defined?

[zharkov]

Sounds fishy.....

Ask your union rep or HR department whether this jazz is legit.

[larryc]

I am guessing no union and no functional faculty senate where you are?

Apologize and promise to make sandwiches next time. It is a job and he is your boss.

[johnr]

I’m a researcher at a University in Georgia. Last week my boss stated that all staff including me would be required to spend half a day doing volunteer work which involves either making sandwiches for homeless people or delivering the sandwiches to their homes. I didn’t go to this (I went to work instead) because I was inundated with deadlines which I felt I wouldn’t be able to honor if I did not spend the time on my work.   My boss is now alleging that my failure to do the "mandatory voluntary work" is insubordination. I’d be grateful for any advice on my rights with regard to this issue.

 

I would have volunteered to deliver the sandwiches to the homes of the homeless people.  By definition, that would have taken no time at all.

[aandsdean]

Sounds fishy.....

Ask your union rep or HR department whether this jazz is legit.

Union rep?  Georgia?  Bwahhhhaahhhaaah.

[michigander]

I suspect that somewhere in your job decription is some version of "other duties as assigned."  If your supervisor told you to do it, you didn't attempt to negotiate your way out of it, and you didn't do it absent special circumstances such as being hospitalized, you may have committed insubordination.  It's time to go into damage control mode and repair your relationship with your supervisor.  Next time, be ready to salute, do what you're instructed to do, and ask your supervisor to help you to prioritize which deadline(s) will need to be adjusted to compensate for the lost time.

[new_bus_prof]

Some organizations have mandatory service days due to the organization attempting to show it cares about X, Y, and Z. And yes, if the whole staff was required to be there then you were supposed to be there as well. And, you can get fired for "failure to perform assigned duties..."

The question is was ANYONE exempt from the Volunteer Day, because it only takes one exemption to ruin its applicability. And, in order to ensure everyone else has to comply with service day and there is an understanding that no one is exempt, your boss will have to formally write you up.

[researchprof]

I'm all for volunteering when it's actually volunteering.

How exactly is this particular (mandatory) volunteering related to your job?

While the mission of the institute I am working for is to help the poor, the work we do is research/ policy oriented.  According to my job description, all my duties involve research or policy-oriented work.

[researchprof]

Do you have a job description with your duties and responsibilities clearly defined?

Yes I do.  As I said above, all the tasks outlined in the job description involve research or policy oriented tasks.

[researchprof]

I suspect that somewhere in your job decription is some version of "other duties as assigned." 

I checked my job description and it doesn't include any reference to "other duties as assigned"/ anything similar.

[conjugate]

Do you have a job description with your duties and responsibilities clearly defined?

Yes I do.  As I said above, all the tasks outlined in the job description involve research or policy oriented tasks.

Then I might talk to a lawyer.  Disclaimer: I've suggested that others talk to a lawyer on these fora, and other posters have, very politely and tactfully, pointed out why this would not be a good idea.  (I have generally come to agree with these other posters, but am far too miffed at having been wrong to admit it, so please don't tell anybody.)  So let's sit back and watch the polite, tactful reasons that I'm probably not giving you good advice here roll in :-).

[larryc]

Look, right or wrong you have to pick your fights in this life. Is this the right fight to pick?

[jackit]

Hi researchprof -

Is this one of your top three issues about your job?

If not, drop it.

And yes, for the record your boss is a butt-head.