It started like any ordinary workweek — until my boss asked me to drive him to a client meeting 35 minutes away. Since he didn’t drive, he assumed I would take him in my personal car, saying it was “part of my job.” I hesitated for a moment before replying, “I’m a designer, not a driver — and my car isn’t part of the company fleet.” The room went quiet. He looked annoyed, but I stayed polite and firm. I thought the matter was over — until I came back from lunch later that day and realized it was far from finished.
To my surprise, my entire desk setup had been moved next to the cabinet where the company car keys were kept. A handwritten note sat on my chair: “Here’s your new station — close enough to drive when needed.” My stomach dropped. Instead of confronting him, I took a deep breath, snapped a photo, and calmly wrote an email to HR explaining what had happened. I made it clear that I felt pressured and uncomfortable being expected to use my personal vehicle for work tasks. Then, I simply got back to work.
The following morning, HR called both of us into a meeting. My boss tried to frame the situation as “team collaboration,” but HR wasn’t buying it. They explained that requiring employees to use personal vehicles without agreement or compensation was against policy — and that boundaries must be respected in the workplace. By the end of the day, I was back at my old desk, and the company arranged for a driver to handle future client meetings.
A few days later, my boss approached me with an unexpected apology. He admitted that he hadn’t realized how unfair his demand had been. From that day forward, he treated me with noticeably more respect — even asking for my input on how to improve communication in the team. That experience taught me something invaluable: setting boundaries doesn’t mean being difficult. It means valuing yourself enough to stand firm — and sometimes, that quiet strength changes everything.