Boss Threatened To Call The Cops On Worker After They Resigned & Stopped Responding To Messages
What part of "I quit" does this boss not understand?
antoniodiaz / Shutterstock A worker on Reddit was left shocked by the lengths their former employer was willing to go in order to get back at them for quitting — lengths that are, in fact, illegal. And you thought your managers were controlling...
The boss threatened to call the cops on a worker who resigned when they stopped responding to messages.
"I quit" is a complete sentence, much like the word "no" can be. And when you've been in the trenches of a toxic work environment, saying those two words usually brings a wave of relief.
Not for this worker, however.
As they shared in their Reddit post, their boss didn't seem to understand what "I quit" meant, and has been hounding them to take their job back ever since.
The worker clearly communicated their resignation and reasons why, but their boss will not take no for an answer.
"The other day, I quit my toxic job via text message," the worker wrote in their post. "I left a detailed message about the reason why (or at least the lie that I had to take care of a family matter) and told them that I am disabling the number I used for that job so if they can't reach me that is why."
That seems pretty direct, right? But the message was definitely not received by their boss. Despite having "clearly communicated my departure so there's no way for them to think I'm ill or in danger," their boss was constantly trying to text them even after making it clear they didn't want to be contacted.
"I don't want to contact them because I don't want them to know my business," the worker explained, "nor do I want them to try and persuade me to come back or make me feel bad for leaving after 'everything they've done for me.'" But they simply will not take no for an answer.
The boss threatened to call the cops for a wellness check if the worker continued to not respond.
Despite all the clear communication on the worker's end and having "already told them everything they need to know," their boss seemed to be pretending not to have heard them. And they've been left mystified by the situation.
"It's so immature," they wrote, "the lengths that employers will go to in order to beg for a great employee that they mistreated to come back." It sounds like a true "don't know what you got till it's gone" situation.
"You didn't appreciate me while I was there and now you want to pretend like I'm a 'valuable asset to the team,'" the worker wrote. "Be for real."
Photo: studioroman / Canva Pro
Worse still, the worker already had a false wellness check incident in the past that left them traumatized after the police broke down their door. "I just want to be left alone," they wrote.
False wellness checks are highly illegal as are certain forms of employer harassment after quitting.
The worker made it clear that they're "not trying to sue anyone or get the law involved," but several Redditors said they should keep records of everything because they just may have to deal with the authorities.
False wellness checks are a very serious crime. State and local laws vary as to whether it is a felony or misdemeanor, but it is taken very seriously as it is considered a crime against the justice system itself because it pulls law enforcement resources away from legitimate calls.
It is so serious and dangerous, in fact, that it is one of the rare forms of speech not covered by the First Amendment.
Unfortunately, in most cases, the harassment that this worker is experiencing would not rise to the level of illegality. Typically, the harassment or retaliation would have to follow a protected activity, such as filing a complaint of discrimination or "whistle-blowing" on illegal activity in the workplace.
That said, some state laws handle the issue differently, so lawyers recommend workers in situations like this contact an attorney to make sure they know all their rights and means of recourse.
Regardless, the moral of the story here is: Treat your employees right when they're working for you and you won't have to worry about them leaving. And for God's sake, if you're thinking of calling the cops on a worker who resigned? Get a grip.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.