I used to think being reliable at work meant always picking up the phone. I thought if I proved I was a team player, my manager would respect me more. Instead, it slowly turned into something I never agreed to, being on call 24/7 without pay, without appreciation, and without boundaries.

I did not realize how bad it had gotten until one small decision changed everything.

When I first joined the company, my boss seemed friendly. He said he valued dedication. I wanted to make a good impression, so when he called after work hours, I answered.

At first it was harmless. He would ask simple questions like where a file was or if I could confirm something. Then it became normal.

My boss called me 23 times after 5 PM this month. I answered every time, even during dinner. Sometimes I would step away from my family just to answer. Sometimes I would pause movies. Once, I even answered while sitting at a doctor’s appointment.

He never asked if it was a good time. He just expected me to pick up. I told myself this was how you grow in your career. This was how you show commitment at work.

Then he called at 10 PM on Saturday. I ignored it. It was the first time I had ever ignored his call. I was not on shift. I was not paid to be on call. I was just tired.

On Monday, he cornered me, “Too busy now?” I stayed calm and said it was my day off. He smiled, “We’ll see.” That moment terrified me. It sounded like a warning.

Next morning, HR called me in. I spent the whole walk to the meeting room trying to remember if I had made a mistake. HR sat me down and said my boss had reported that I was becoming “unresponsive and less cooperative.”

That word, unresponsive, stuck with me. I had answered dozens of calls outside work hours. I had done unpaid extra work. I had never refused before but just once I ignored his call and he dragged me to HR??

I explained everything. I told them I was not on call. I told them these calls were happening outside my work schedule. I even showed my call log. HR looked surprised at first when they saw how often he contacted me after hours.

But then they said it was part of the job. I argued, saying nobody informed me of this requirement when I joined the company, and they said work responsibilities of an employee are not fixed and can be changed/adjusted by the company as and when required.

I left the room after nodding in understanding, but I’m so lost. I feel stuck between having to answer my boss’s not-so-urgent urgent calls, which honestly feel too intrusive, and going through the trouble of finding another job in this super-competitive market.

What do I do?