Boss Tells Sick Employee To Come In Since He Can't Cover Their Work By Himself — 'You Have A Lot Today'
He was forced to sacrifice his health for fear of losing his job.
Syda Productions / CanvaPro While many employees have access to sick leave from their jobs, the reality is that it’s not an inherently protected right. For many low-income, part-time, and contract workers, sick time is a luxury that they’re not always entitled to, leaving them vulnerable when they need time away.
One Reddit poster on the “Anti Work” forum shared a conversation with his boss that highlighted this problem.
This boss requested his sick employee come in to help cover his typical workload — ‘You have a lot today.’
After trying to call in sick on a Monday morning, the employee was basically told he had to help cover his route. “I am sicker than yesterday,” the employee wrote. “I need rest.”
Despite requesting the time away, his boss simply said, “Don’t say that. I can’t cover your route.”
Photo: Reddit
Emphasizing the “size” of his workload for the day, his boss continued to pester him. Probably still in bed contemplating his next text, the employee asked for "some more sleep," in the hopes of feeling well enough to work.
“What time will you be here,” his boss questioned, after receiving his text. When he finally woke up, he knew that he’d be putting himself at risk if he decided not to go in — so he did. Unsurprisingly, after working for an entire day while sick with little rest, he woke up the next day feeling worse.
Despite being incredibly sick with a fever, this employee tried his best to accommodate his boss but ultimately decided it was best to stay home.
“I have a full-blown fever now,” he texted his boss on Tuesday morning — requesting a full day off from work. Instead of finally giving this employee the rest he needed, however, the boss instead reminded him that he had “200 stops” on his plate.
“Can you help with some?” his boss asked.
While this conversation might be inconceivable to anyone with structured time off policies, many people find themselves in this man’s shoes.
Photo: Elnur / CanvaPro
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 1 in 4 American employees don’t have access to even a single sick day at their jobs. While some employees are protected from being fired by certain regulations, many are not — leading to an unhealthy sacrifice of personal wellness for productivity.
When things come up or these employees get sick, there’s an extra level of anxiety and stress that their job culture fosters — especially if their bosses aren’t lenient with providing grace.
Many employees don’t have access to sick time, even when they need it, leading to increased job insecurity, strained work relationships, and uncomfortable conversations.
The underlying narrative behind allotted sick time or paid leave is basic respect. Does your employer respect you enough to allow time away from your job? Because we’re all human — nobody can work 24/7/365 without a break. Add to that the inevitable burnout and job dissatisfaction that come with a toxic workplace and productivity issues will arise.
So, when employers refuse to give out sick time, they’re not only harming their relationships with their employees — depriving them of basic human respect — but they're also putting their productivity standards at risk.
If you’re not entitled to sick time at your job, ensure you have a backup plan for when something uncontrollable happens in your life.
Nobody can go their entire life without taking a day off from work. You shouldn’t be punished or made to feel “less than” by a boss for taking time away — and if you are, it might be time to look for a new position.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.