An Arizona worker sparked a major online discussion after sharing messages allegedly sent by their boss asking them to adjust the date of their father’s funeral because other coworkers already had time off scheduled. The post quickly gained attention on Reddit as many people criticized the manager’s response and questioned how some workplaces handle bereavement leave.
The story was shared on Reddit’s r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, where it gained significant traction online. The post received more than 11,000 upvotes along with hundreds of comments from users reacting to the situation. Many commenters said they were shocked that an employee grieving the death of a parent would allegedly be asked to reconsider funeral plans due to staffing concerns.
According to the Reddit post, the employee had informed their small four-person team during a meeting that they would soon need time off following the death of their father. The worker explained that the boss was already aware of the situation because they had previously taken two days of bereavement leave shortly after their father passed away around a week and a half earlier.
The employee claimed the boss later privately requested that the funeral timing be adjusted because one coworker was already on leave while another had scheduled vacation time during the same period.
Screenshots shared in the post appeared to show a direct message conversation between the employee and the manager discussing the scheduling issue. The exchange quickly became the focus of online criticism, with many users calling the request insensitive and inappropriate given the circumstances.
The worker later added several updates to clarify details surrounding the funeral arrangements. According to the post, the father had been cremated and the family was still waiting for an autopsy report before finalizing plans. The employee also explained that some relatives would need to travel internationally and that the family was dealing with legal matters, court-related issues, and cleaning out a home following the death.
The Reddit user stressed that the issue was not about taking an unusually long funeral leave but rather frustration with the Arizona manager’s handling of the situation. They also noted that they still had two weeks of vacation time that had to be used before July 1.
Arizona Reddit Users Slam Manager
Online reactions were overwhelmingly critical of the manager’s reported behavior. Many commenters encouraged the employee to forward the messages to human resources and review the company’s bereavement policies. “I would just forward this onto HR and say, ‘Hey, my dad died and my manager won’t let me have time off. What’s the policy on bereavement leave?’” one user wrote.
The original poster later responded by saying they were already in contact with HR because the manager had allegedly displayed other problematic behavior in the past. The employee described the boss as “aggressive, passive aggressive, gossipy, retaliatory.”
Others expressed shock and frustration over the situation in Arizona while discussing how funeral arrangements can vary depending on family circumstances and religion. “Wow, that’s incredibly unprofessional. I’m sorry for your loss. Is it common to schedule funerals that far out? In my religion, we’re technically supposed to do it within 24 hours, though 2-3 days is generally acceptable if family has to travel,” one commenter said.
