My Time is Not Yours

Stop acting as if I’m your employee (A rant supposed to be posted on Facebook)

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-red-t-shirt-looking-at-her-laptop-3755761/

To whom it may concern:

I have a fully-loaded life. If I don’t post my activities on Facebook, it doesn’t mean that I’m not doing anything. Just like you, I have work, family, social, and even environmental responsibilities (lol).

Don’t message me during office hours and expect that I will answer you immediately. If I’m at work, I devote my entire office hours to working as I don’t have the attitude to shortchange the organization which feeds my family. So don’t expect me to answer you because I don’t work for you.

The last time you has this kind of request (or may I say demand), you called me while I’m doing a very important online international presentation. During important events like that, I have my phone beside me so my colleagues can easily message me in case of technical glitches in my presentation. But what happened is I got distracted by loud rings from my phone because you called not once but thrice.

I finally opened your message during the night before I slept and answered all your legal questions. It was the time that I'm supposed to sleep but I entertained and settled all your questions, for free.

Then just this morning, you did the same trick. You messaged me and when I didn’t answer, you called me through Facebook messenger 3 times. Again, it was office hours. I am busy conducting training while juggling all my deadlines in my head. You weren’t convinced yet and you called me at my mobile number. And your concern? You need free legal advice.

If you need free legal advice, wait for my time allotted for that. If you cannot wait, there are a lot of lawyers who will readily give you legal advice by paying them their consultation fee. Remember that I am not your employee or retainer lawyer. You are asking for a favor so don’t be demanding.

I have a life full of schedules and I will be the one to decide who to prioritize. Please, if you are my friend give me the respect that I deserve and don’t treat me like your own employee “on-call”. My time is not yours and will never be.