Redditor Went To The Manager's Office Wearing A Mask And Gloves, Coughing And Sneezing, To Dispel Doubt About Their Illness

"Another manager won't believe their worker could be sick"

Filip

• Published in Interesting
• September 24, 2023

Employers always complain that it's hard to find a good employee, but it actually goes in both directions because employees struggle to find good employers, too. If we start to debate who is in a worse position, employees or employers, we might fall into a vicious circle.

So, to cut a long story short, this story is about employers who do not trust their workers. This story happened about a year ago, but the OP doesn't work there anymore, so feel free to share the experience.

The OP used to make some extra money by tutoring K-12 kids in an after-school program. Last autumn, the OP fell ill with the flu, experiencing coughing, sneezing, and fever.

Additionally, laryngitis developed, preventing any verbal communication. They informed the boss at 9 a.m. of their inability to work (the shift started at 4 p.m.).

But at 1 p.m., they received a reply that they couldn't find their replacement and they'd have to come to work. This worried the OP about spreading the illness to the kids and worsening their condition by working with them.

The OP tried to persuade them to reconsider and find their own replacement, but to no avail. The OP then remembered a policy requiring tutors to arrive 20 minutes before the class, so they decided to go and show them their condition.

They skipped medication, which worsened symptoms. Then, they put on three KN95 masks and two layers of surgical gloves to avoid infecting the kids and walked into the admin’s office, showing clear signs of illness.

A coughing fit and a sneeze occurred as the OP approached the door, causing panic to the administrator from a distance. She immediately found a solution and took over the students for the day, so the OP managed to be in the building for less than five minutes.

The OP's story:

The OP said they don't work there anymore:

The OP got ill and informed their boss they couldn't work, but they were informed they'd have to:

They tried to find their own replacement, but no luck:

So, the OP came up with an idea to show them their condition:

They went into admin's office looking terribly ill, coughing and sneezing:

She immediately found a way to take over the students for the day:

Show up time

They should pay OP three hours of paid time

Unfortunately, innocent people would be caught in the crossfire

They got what they asked for

When you are messing up with the nurse:

Good point

He should have hugged her

The OP's manager didn't believe they were sick and unable to work, so they were forced to show them how bad they were just to get permission to skip a day at work. Unfortunately, many people face this kind of trust from their employers.

And there is not much an individual can do. The best thing a person can do is find a new, better job and a company that would truly appreciate them and their work.

Filip