Could it be miscommunication? You're asking a worker to go into a particular area and perform a particular function, but the employer doesn't really explain the whole realm of the duty or the whole realm of the job. There may be a miscommunication or a lack of communication, so they think the worst and they say, “I'm going to refuse to take on that job.” Is that common?
On November 19th, 2013. See this statement in context.