Being severely sick is rough enough, but being forced to go to work while sick is the worst. Luckily, one New York construction employee did get to stay in, but only after his boss told him to drive all the way to work, all 40 miles. Reddit user Worth_Divide_3576 posted on r/mildlyinfuriating, explaining how he’d woken up with awful respiratory problems and not in any condition to work. Still, his boss says, “Come on in, and we can figure something out.”
Worth Divide said he called his boss ahead of time to ask about sick leave, as allegedly his position doesn’t allow accrual until after 450 work hours. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be ideal to bring whatever terrible sickness he’s caught to the workplace. But after being told to come in, he made the trip, but upon arrival, the boss suddenly told him to go back.
Around 3 minutes away from the shop, Worth Divide says he gets a text message saying, “Stay home. You have 1 sick day.” He didn’t need to be told that to know he needed to rest for the day, considering he supposedly almost passed out while driving to work. However, while he posted his story, Worth Divide said he was parked at a Tim Hortons nearby, trying to recover so he could drive back.
Fortunately, OP claims he got back safely and is “currently becoming BFFs with my toilet.” Plenty were shocked and wondered why Worth Divide was so intent on listening to his boss, to which he responded that he didn’t want to miss $200 worth of pay. His financial obligations apparently would take a dive if he weren’t given sick leave.
Redditors Criticized American Work Culture Regarding Sick Leave
Redditors shared their sympathy for Worth Divide, with many mocking the country’s culture and laws when it came to sick days. “Don’t drive if you feel sick enough to be panting and feeling like passing out,” warned a commenter. “As a Brit, I find this absolutely nuts. Sick leave is a protected right here,” remarked a second user.
“An authentic American experience,” sighed a third. “You Americans with your limited sick days will always make me laugh,” joked another foreigner. One person questioned what Worth Divide was supposed to do if he actually was forced to work. He responded, saying he was wearing a mask and was ready to tough out the day as long as he could.
In the end, OP did get the day off, but the mildly infuriating part was that his boss, despite allegedly knowing he lives 40 miles away, told him to drive to work even though he was dangerously sick. Stories like this make many wonder whether parts of American work culture related to sick leave need reform.
