‘My boss is trying to guilt me into walking her dogs – she thinks I’m a mug’

A woman has taken to Reddit to share how her boss has been trying to guilt her into walking her dogs for free – but she used to do it for £5 and isn’t keen to give up her fee

Everybody wants to impress their boss – but sometimes a line has to be drawn for your own self respect. A woman has been left feeling frustrated at her boss who has been trying to guilt her into walking her dogs for free.

Explaining how she used to walk her boss’ dogs for £5, the woman said she was happy to do it in order to in her bosses good books. Writing on Reddit, she said: “I got paid £5 a walk and was quite happy with that because I was getting paid. I was also one of her only walkers who would walk them when it was raining.

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“However, money is tight for her and eventually she told me she couldn’t afford me anymore.

But when the woman’s boss was let down by her dog walker last minute, she turned to her employee for help.

The woman added: “She messaged me about going to see her dogs. I say ‘sure’. Then she reminds me I’m not going to get paid, even after I didn’t mention money. I was pretty annoyed.

“Later in the day, closer to the time she said to go over, it’s raining. It’s the type of rain where even though it doesn’t look heavy, you end up soaked.

“I message and cancel because I don’t want to walk in the rain when I’m not getting paid. She’s now annoyed with me because I ‘know the Thursday walker doesn’t walk when it’s raining’ and accused me of being petty.”

While most users agreed the woman shouldn’t feel bad for cancelling on her boss, others reminded her that walking her boss’ dog isn’t in her job description.

One user said: “Beggars can’t be choosers. Your manager is trying to get out of paying people for a service they should be paid for. You don’t need to volunteer your time and get wet for nothing.”

Another user added: “Sounds like you need a new job – that’s a crazy person.”

A third user said: “I actually think it’s unethical for your manager (someone in a position of power over you) to ask you for free favours unrelated to work in your off time. It’s always going to be hard to say no when they have leverage over you.”

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