Just as the title explains, a healthcare worker in Texas was wrongfully terminated after having taken two approved sick days. The state of general employment in the United States has become more and more disgusting as of late, especially when so many people are being laid off. In the gaming industry alone, an estimated 35,000 people were laid off between 2022 and 2025. Now, it appears that even if you are approved for time off, you are still liable to be terminated from your place of work.
The above video features a man named Trey who works at a healthcare facility in Edinburg, Texas called DHR Healthcare. According to their website, the facility is well-versed in services such as women’s health, rehabilitation, neuroscience, behavioral health, and so much more. However, despite offering those services, it appears that they do not wish their own employees to have access to them. Shortly after experiencing a vague type of sickness, Trey visited an urgent care and quickly let his employer know about the situation.
According to his testimony, Trey both called his place of work to let them know that he was cleared to return in two days, as well as sent them the appropriate documentation to ensure that it would all be approved. To make matters worse, instead of simply referring to this documentation, he was flagged for not showing up to work and not calling to notify anyone. As a result, he was terminated and sent home with all his things in a cardboard box. Various commentators were quick to chime in and recommend litigation, with the top comment on the topic saying, “Get a lawyer thats wrongful termination.”
Various other commentators backed this person’s comment by telling Trey not to wait and to get an attorney. With the documents that he showed in the video, which very clearly prove that his absences were approved, I can only imagine he’ll be able to obtain some kind of settlement from the incident. At the very least, the company should apologize for the embarrassment of not allowing him to collect his desk belongings until after he had spoken again to the human resources department.
Trey also reflects on how he was feeling while sick, having made various posts about advocating for yourself and ensuring that you and your own are safe and healthy. It feels wrong knowing that despite his own thoughts on the subject, his employer, a healthcare professional, does not feel the same.