I Stopped Answering Work Calls After 5 PM, My Boss Took Me to HR

I work a regular 9-to-5 job. Nothing urgent like emergency services. Just emails, reports, unnecessary meetings, and harsh deadlines that are clearly defined. Or at least, I thought they were. What started as a simple decision to protect my evenings with my family somehow ended with me sitting in front of HR, feeling like I had done something illegal.

Hi, Bright Side readers and fellow office workers!

Here is what happened. I have been at this company for a little over three years. My performance reviews are solid. I meet deadlines, help teammates, and I am usually the person who fills in when a coworker takes a leave.

But over the last few months, my boss has started calling after work hours. Sometimes “urgent”, sometimes “not-so-urgent” and just stuff like “Did you see this email?” or “Can you quickly update this slide?” after I clock out. At first, I answered. I did not want to seem difficult.

But he kept calling almost every day. Calls during dinner. Messages during family time. Missed calls while I was in the shower. I started feeling like I was always on call, without being paid for it.

So last week, I decided I was done. I left work at 5 PM, put my phone on silent, and focused on my own life and family for once.

My boss called me 13 times in one hour after I left work. I didn’t respond. I saw the missed calls later and felt anxious, but I reminded myself that nothing in my role is that urgent.

Everything could wait for the next day, and if it were truly an emergency, someone else could handle it. He himself could handle it. I didn’t want to be a doormat anymore, you know?

The next morning, he cornered me and said, “How dare you ignore me?” I was honestly shocked by his tone, but I did not raise my voice, even though I wanted to scream at his face. I calmly reminded him it was past my work hours.

I even said that if something is urgent, I am happy to discuss setting expectations or a paid extra on-call system. He did not like that at all.

He dragged me into HR, calling me “unreliable.” At this point, my heart was racing; I had never been in trouble at work before. I kept replaying everything in my head, wondering if I had messed up by not answering. I went numb when HR looked at me and asked me to explain my side.

I told them everything. I explained that I work my assigned hours, complete my tasks, and respond during business hours. I said that constant after-work calls were affecting my mental health and personal life. I also pointed out that there is no policy stating I must be available after 5 PM.

HR asked my boss why the calls were so frequent and what the urgency was. He did not have a clear answer. It was mostly “I needed quick updates” and “I expect commitment.”

That word, commitment, really stuck with me. Apparently, commitment now means giving your employer free access to your time lol.

The meeting ended without a clear resolution. HR said they would “look into it” and asked us both to be more mindful. Vague corporate talk without an actual fix.

Now I am left wondering if I am the problem here. Am I wrong for refusing to answer work calls after hours? Is it unreasonable to want a work-life balance?

Having a work-life balance is not only important; it is essential. Still, drawing personal boundaries at work can sometimes lead to unexpected, unwanted situations. Read next: I Refused to Answer a Personal Question in a Job Interview—HR Got Involved