After Coworker’s Lie Gets Her in Trouble, Woman Says She Won’t Cover Her Shifts ‘Ever Again’

A 21-year-old college senior turned to Reddit for advice after refusing to cover a coworker’s shifts—especially after that same coworker spread a lie that almost got her in trouble at work.

She explained that her part-time restaurant job wasn’t terrible, but the people she worked with could be “a LOT.” Among the few employees who consistently arrived on time, completed side duties, and stayed until closing, she often found herself covering for others. “Because of that, my manager ALWAYSSS asks me to cover when someone calls out,” she wrote, adding that while she usually agreed for the extra money, it had become “exhausting sometimes.”

The conflict centered around a coworker she referred to as “Taylor,” a 23-year-old she described as “fake nice asf.” According to her, Taylor would act friendly and affectionate, then gossip about everyone in the break room. Despite being chronically late and often flirting with their manager, Taylor “somehow NEVER gets written up.”

One Friday, Taylor texted at the last minute asking her to cover a shift because of a “family emergency.” The woman declined, explaining she already had plans for her best friend’s birthday dinner—something arranged weeks in advance.

“She got passive aggressive and said ‘must be nice to have no empathy,’ ” she recalled. “Then I said whatever bro, I’m not covering for you.”

The situation escalated the next week when her manager confronted her about her “attitude.” Taylor had allegedly claimed she yelled at her about scheduling and called her lazy—none of which was true. To clear her name, the woman showed the manager the text messages. He believed her but still advised her to “try to be a little more understanding” next time.

Just two days later, the manager asked her again to cover one of Taylor’s shifts. “He said, ‘can you please cover for her? She said you two worked it out,’ ” she wrote. “I was like, um, no we didn’t—and I won’t be covering her shifts ever again, period.”

That firm boundary didn’t sit well with Taylor, who allegedly began giving her dirty looks and turning coworkers against her. One coworker accused her of being “petty,” saying women should “support each other” and “be a girl’s girl.” The woman, however, didn’t see how protecting herself from someone dishonest made her the villain.

“I feel like all I did was set a boundary and everyone hates me for it,” she wrote, noting that coworkers had started acting distant and calling her “difficult.” From her perspective, she wasn’t holding a grudge—she was simply standing up for herself. “She lied about me and tried to get me in trouble, but now I’m the one who’s difficult?” she asked.

In her Reddit post, she summed it up plainly: “Coworker lied about me after I wouldn’t cover her shift because I had plans for my best friend’s birthday. Now I refuse to help her or cover any more shifts and everyone thinks I’m a b—-.”

Commenters overwhelmingly supported her decision. One wrote, “Nah, you’re good. Most workplaces have this kind of drama—best thing you can do is not let it get to you. Ignore their gossip, stay friendly, and just do your job. Covering for others is your choice, but covering for Taylor is out.”

Another added that the real issue was management’s responsibility: “The manager has to figure out that Taylor is HIS problem. If she’s unreliable and doesn’t show up, HE has to deal with it. Flirting will only get her so far. NTA.”