Setting a Work Boundary Led to Radio Silence

Title: I work for a small organization, and my contract expired at the end of December 2024. Starting in November, I repeatedly reminded my supervisor in our one-on-one meetings that my contract was coming to an end. By early December, I followed up with a formal email as a reminder. My supervisor acknowledged my email and said they would address it that week, but no action was taken.

As the contract expiration date approached during the holiday break, I sent another follow-up email. Again, I got no response. Fast forward to this week: my supervisor sent me an email asking me to work on a major assignment due the next day. At this point, I felt it was necessary to set a boundary. I replied professionally, saying that I couldn’t assist without a valid contract in place and asked if I could expect the contract that day to complete the task.

The response? Radio silence. I didn’t hear back all day. Finally, at 9:46 PM—well outside normal working hours—I received the new contract. However, the story didn’t end there. I later found out that my supervisor told my boss it was “disappointing” that I wouldn’t help them without a contract. My boss then asked my supervisor, “Let me know if you do or don’t want to extend her contract.”

The new contract I received has its own issues. It only extends through June 2024, not 2025 as I expected, keeps me part-time, and offers no benefits or opportunities to increase hours. Given my financial situation, I’m likely going to sign it short-term just to pay the bills, but this entire experience has left me feeling disrespected, undervalued, and drained.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had issues at this job. In the past, I’ve dealt with late paychecks with no apologies, unprofessional colleagues, and even having my personal information mishandled. Setting this boundary felt necessary for my mental health, but it’s clear that doing so has put a target on my back.

I’m wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation. How do you balance setting boundaries at work while protecting your mental health and professional reputation?