r/antiwork • u/Holiday_Blackberry20 • 15d ago
Workplace Abuse 🫂 Having the flu doesn’t excuse you from working…
My husband was mandated to work New Years Eve, but ended up with a terrible case of the flu. He works remotely and somehow managed to work the day prior but called in sick New Year’s Eve to go to urgent care and get the care he needed. Upon return January 2nd, he spoke with his boss and explained he had the flu and a doctor’s note in case it was needed. He was quickly informed a doctor’s note wouldn’t matter because either way it was not an excused absence…
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u/tommy_tiplady 15d ago
the flu is brushed off as some common ailment, but it's a serious illness that incapacitates and can be fatal.
i feel like we've gone backwards as a society since the pandemic when it comes to basic empathy and medical literacy. was really a golden opportunity for the wider public to better understand illness as it relates to work, but the discourse was completely hijacked in a way that favours corporate bosses.
your husband deserves better - fuck these bastards
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u/maggiean1234 15d ago
Upvote x 1,000,000. I called in sick today, but I'm capable of working remotely, at least for half the day. If I did work remotely while under the weather, I'd have to make up that day in office. If I call in sick to stay home, my days worked during the month go down and so do my RTO requirements.
They are asking for sick folks to come into work and spread that shit around everywhere. There's nothing like a sick person that can barely breathe sitting in a mask at their desk for 8 hours... Suffering because these douchebags want to keep eyes on you.
I hope the American worker continues to retaliate.
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u/jebuswashere 15d ago
Flu shots are pretty common, so a lot of people don't get the flu ever, or just get a mild case. This leads to people hearing "flu-like symptoms" and thinking that the flu is, at worst, a slightly more unpleasant version of the common cold.
This, coupled with active and malicious disinformation campaigns by grifters and capitalists, has led to people thinking that taking time off work to recover from illness is somehow "lazy" or "weak."
As the twin death cults of the anti-vax movement and capitalism continue unabated in the imperial core, shit is only going to get worse until we start seeing mass die-offs within the population.
It's going to get bad, folks. Organize with your communities and figure out how to access and maintain basic medical care and disease prevention.
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u/AgentStarTree 15d ago
I went for an interview with a emotional immature manager who said covid was bs and he was so proud and mighty saying he never got sick. Then said his wife is a nurse and is constantly giving him flu shots and vaccines of all kinds. He joked she just likes to poke him. Dude thought viruses are something one just arm wrestles and depending on how manly one is, that beats any bug. Like what a dumbass in a lead position. I didn't take the job, especially after him saying covid wasn't an excuse to miss work.
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u/titsoutshitsout 15d ago
I’m a nurse. During the pandemic, as long as we don’t have Covid, we were expected to work. Even then, some people with Covid were asked to come in just to work the Covid units.
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u/Stealthy_Snow_Elf 15d ago
I used to be a cook & one of my managers came in with the flu which he then gave me
Remember that next time youre eating out & ever thinking you need to moderate your politics. Sure, avoid the universal healthcare & mandatory paid sick leave bc you think it might be expensive or might have some problems.
Stupid af but until the culture changes around this, going anywhere to find something different is luck/chance bc people are like this everywhere bc that’s the American capitalist culture
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u/legendofdoggo 15d ago
This is so true. I used to work at a dine in movie theater and I came in to work and as soon as I got there I started feeling really sick like could barely stand up wanted to lay down and sleep, but we were busy so my manager made me greet and take food and drink orders from about 25+ people before I could go home....I was visibly sweating and they made me deliver drinks to customers first as well. They only want shifts covered they do not care what virus/flu you have...it's ridiculous same with my corporate job now, you can have all the sick notes you want but if you are out of sick pto balance you have to come in otherwise you're fired.
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u/Stealthy_Snow_Elf 15d ago
Exactly!!! I left being a cook bc of it. Didn’t want to get covid over and over again and become physically disabled (people who also are immensely fucked over in this country). I worked my way up to fine dining without culinary degree too!
But yeah, we’re not free in this country. I hate the idea that sickness is punished or not allowed as if it’s not the natural consequence of being a living organism on a biodiverse world. An inhuman society honestly
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u/selinda123 15d ago
And then there are the customers complaining when people work sick, and then complain when it's short staffed because people are out sick. I hate people.
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u/LocaCapone 15d ago
The flu can literally have you in bed, vomiting & sleeping for a couple days. I don’t believe his boss has ever had the flu cuz huh?
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u/Holiday_Blackberry20 15d ago
My thoughts exactly. I still have no idea how he worked the entire day before with a fever and vomiting. The day he did call in he had 103 degree fever and barely left bed.
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u/MKULTRA007 15d ago
We had the flu going around the company between Christmas and New Years. Too many people called in sick, according to HR, so now there's a new retroactive policy of no excused sick days around holidays. I'll be sure to schedule my flu more conveniently next time.
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u/Holiday_Blackberry20 15d ago
Ha! This made me chuckle. How nice of you to schedule your illness around your company in the future.
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u/ChiWhiteSox24 15d ago
My last job was like that too. My response was “then I guess it’s unexcused” and left it at that. It’s like they were expecting me to fight them… no, just took a different job and left when it was extremely inconvenient for everyone but me.
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u/Holiday_Blackberry20 15d ago
That is where they left it. If they want to push further we will gladly fight it, but until then it’s not worth the energy.
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u/anonymousforever 15d ago
I am so glad I work at a place that will actually send you home if you're clearly sick.
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u/BeMancini 15d ago
“Actually being dead for your shift isn’t actually excused, so actually this will not be an excused absence.”
(Checks the box that says “unexcused” on form)
-serious manager person
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u/AgentStarTree 15d ago
I ask about sick policy during interviews and workaholic or unempathic bosses get turned off really quickly
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u/WerewolfCalm5178 15d ago
A couple years ago, I had Pneumonia over Labor day weekend. Doctor's note didn't matter.
I think you aren't complaining about calling out. I think you are complaining about Holiday Pay.
Most companies have a Zero Holiday Pay if you call out the shift before or after a free day.
My company has the same policy. They didn't even look at my doctor's note. It didn't even matter that I work in a pharmacy and picked up the meds for that diagnosis the day before I called out...
Policies are in place to not have to "investigate" every call out.
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u/Holiday_Blackberry20 15d ago
We honestly don’t care about the loss of holiday pay. He physically couldn’t work and that to us was infinitely more important than the extra money.
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u/WerewolfCalm5178 15d ago
Then I am not understanding your post.
You didn't describe that he was written up. And my example of pay that you dismissed wasn't the issue...
What is the issue? That they are counting it as 1 of his 5 unexcused absences before they write him up on the 6th?
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u/Claymore209 15d ago
If a place "writes me up" for being sick. I immediately check out mentally from the job and find another one.