Boss's Comment Today...NEED HELP!

[allie1105]

I received an email forwarded to me from my boss yesterday. It was in regards to an event that is being held after work next Wednesday, from 5pm -7pm. The event is to celebrate the winners of a contest our newspaper held, and I do not have any clients attending. On my sales team, there are four other account executives plus myself (so five altogether). Each member was included on the email. The original email was to my boss from the event coordinator, asking which members of our sales team would be in attendence for the event. He responded to the guy with all of our names (all five of us) and said we would all be there, and copied us on the email - never asked any of us if we could even go, just assumed. This event is after normal work hours.

Anyway, I would normally bitch to my husband, suck it up, and attend the event. However, I teach a Yoga/Pilates class during the time of the event, and the people have already paid for it in advance. I emailed this to my boss, and he wrote back:

"Okay, but I do need to speak with you about this."

It was the end of the day, so he said to see him tomorrow. Now, I don't know if he knows, but the Yoga class I teach is actually one of my clients at work - it is an apartment community, and I offer a class for the residents. It has been very well received by the client, but I am afraid that if my boss knows, he is going to tell me it is a conflict of interest and I have to either discontinue the class or lose my job...or he might be lecturing me on how I need to put more time into my job.

What do you guys think? Was he out of line to assume I would attend the event? What right does he have to know what I do outside of work? How should I approach him tomorrow?

[Kitty]

I think it depends on the job whether or not you're required/expected to attend after-hour events. It's actually in my job description that for special events like student orientation (I work at a university) I'm expected to attend. Are you normally required to attend these types of things?

I would probably just tell him you have a prior engagement and can't make it this time and that you're sorry. You'll make sure to be there next time. I wouldn't explain what your actually doing because really, primary jobs come before side jobs...

Anyway, who knows what aspect of the whole thing he wants to talk to you about.

[allie1105]

Its not in my job description, but I am more than happy to do it. However, his email threw me off and then his response to me threw me even more off. Since I started there, he has made the comment (not just to me) that, "Since you are sales reps and you are salaried, you are kind of always 'on call'". That is why you have a cell phone." However, my job description says I am a full time employee paid to work 37.5 hours per week. I don't get it.

[Kitty]

Its not in my job description, but I am more than happy to do it. However, his email threw me off and then his response to me threw me even more off. Since I started there, he has made the comment (not just to me) that, "Since you are sales reps and you are salaried, you are kind of always 'on call'". That is why you have a cell phone." However, my job description says I am a full time employee paid to work 37.5 hours per week. I don't get it.

Yeah, you should probably just have a talk with him and ask him what is and is not expected of you.

Good-luck!

[yankeeyosh]

Yeah, you should probably just have a talk with him and ask him what is and is not expected of you.

Good-luck!

Agreed. If it ain't required, you're not obligated to work outside your normal working hours.

[g8ergal83]

I dont think there would be any problem with you teaching a yoga class and one of the clients is someone at your work. It doesnt pose a conflict of interest to me, and I'm a manager. If you cant go because of a previous committment, you cant go. Because of exactly that, a previous committment. When you talk to your boss tell him that you have this after work every so often and because it never came up in conversation and because your personal life is separate ffrom your work life, you never told him before, there was no reason to. However, since it is not conflicting with your work life, and you've had this scheduled way before this lousy event, your previous committment comes first, expecially because it is outside of work hours. Tell him also that these people have pre-paid for this class and it would be unprofessional to back out on paying clients. Don't mention the other person you work with who is in the class, too, unless he mentions it first. Then simply acknolwedge it and answer his questions. I wouldnt just offer information on this person.. they take yoga in their personal time as well, and he as a boss doesnt need to know anything about it.

[cache]

Why do you even have to mention that it has anything to do with a client? Can't you just tell him you teach a yoga class with no further detail?