I knew I had to think quickly when Linda, my supervisor, told me I had to watch her kids or lose my job. For months, I had to cope with Linda’s unethical behavior as a marketing assistant at a mid-sized real estate company in Dallas. She would tell me private things about her divorce, ask me to do personal errands, and send me emails late at night with urgent requests.
At first, Linda seemed like a strong and capable leader, but her actions quickly showed that she wasn’t. She would ask for things that weren’t fair, make me feel bad for doing favors, and mix up work and personal connections. I tried to ignore it and tell myself that she was just having a hard time, but it was evident that this was how she always acted.
Linda asking me to watch her kids so she could go on a date was the last straw. She told me she would fire me if I didn’t do what she said. At that point, I knew I had had enough. Linda didn’t know that I had been interviewing at other organizations and had just accepted a new job offer.
I agreed to her request and went to her house to watch her kids. But I sent her a text message that would change everything while she was away. I informed her I had taken a new job and would be giving my two weeks’ notice. I also called her ex-husband to pick up the kids and left Linda a message saying that I was done with her conduct.
The aftermath was really severe. Linda left me angry voicemails and messages, but I was going to leave anyhow. I started my new job two weeks later. The organization emphasizes professionalism and treats me like a professional. I learnt a lot about how to stand up for myself and when to leave [4].
