Not Working Does Not Mean Available

Carmen worked at a bookshop three days a week. On the other days, she studied furniture repair. Her colleagues knew she was learning something, but whenever someone needed cover, they called her first because she was 'not working anyway'.

At first, Carmen accepted nearly every extra shift. The additional pay was useful, and she wanted to be helpful. Soon, however, she had missed two workshop sessions and was struggling to finish a practical assignment. Her calendar looked like a job she had never agreed to take.

She told the manager which days she could sometimes cover and which were unavailable. The manager asked whether her course was flexible. Carmen explained that it involved booked equipment and other people's teaching time. More importantly, those days were already committed, even though the bookshop did not pay her for them.

The next request arrived on a protected study day. Carmen declined without adding a long excuse. The manager found another arrangement.

In the workshop, Carmen spent the morning removing an old finish from a cabinet. It was slow, messy work, and she earned nothing for it that day. Still, when a classmate asked whether she had been busy that week, she did not begin with the hours at the bookshop. She pointed to the cabinet and described what she had learned.