Manager Forces Employee To Get Sick Note Even Though It's Illegal, Doctor Maliciously Complies

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  • 01
    Font - r/MaliciousCompliance + Join u/kathjoy · 19h 1 32 29 S 44 44 Manager forces me to get a doctor's note despite it being illegal to do so. Doctor writes him the most passive aggressive note signing me off for 2 weeks instead of 2 days to teach him a lesson. L I posted this but it got removed and I think it was maybe because I didn't make the malicious compliance clear enough , so l'm going to try again and make it extra clear.
  • 02
    Font - When I was in my early twenties, I worked at a supermarket. I should note that I was a pretty reliable employee. I was never late, in fact, I often got in early, and I rarely called in sick. At the time this happened, I had not called in sick for 9 months, and even then, the manager had sent me home. I had been up all night, swinging between burning hot and freezing cold so l was obviously feverish, and I had been throwing up 'at both ends' shall we say. At one point at about 2 am I was o
  • 03
    Font - Sol called up the manager. Let's call the manager Steve. Steve was known for being a real a-hole. He never believed anyone who called in sick except his best buds (usually other managers, never lowly staff), but often called in sick himself (a lot of the time we knew it was because he was hungover and not actually sick). The conversation went as follows: Me: Hey Steve, sorry, I can't come in. I'm sick. Steve: With what? Me: I don't know. I think it might be the flu. l've been up all night
  • 04
    Font - In the UK, you are legally allowed to self-certify for 5 days. This means you can tell your employer you are sick and you do not need a doctors note. If you're sick for more than 5 days, you then need a note. It is also illegal to demand a doctors note during the self-certify period. I knew this, but I was terrified. This was during the recession. I couldn't afford to lose my job. So I got myself dressed. Almost passed out trying to do so. Then trudged to the doctors some 25 minutes walk
  • 05
    Font - I end up sitting in the doctor's office for a little over an hour, which for walk-in was pretty good. I get in to see the doctor and she is furious at me for coming in. You're not supposed to come to the doctors when you are ill, and of course I knew I should be able to self certify. She told me as such, saying I shouldn't be here and should have stayed at home. I then explained what had happened with Steve and how he had threatened to fire me over this and I couldn't afford to lose my jo
  • 06
    Font - '[My Name] has come to the surgery because [manager name] has insisted she come in, in spite of the fact that this is illegal and all employees are allowed to self certify. Due to being forced to make this unnecessary and highly dangerous trip when the patient is ill, has a fever of 39°C, and almost passed out in the waiting room, I am signing [my name] off for two full weeks to recover. Had [my name] been allowed to self certify as is the law, they might only have needed a few days, but
  • 07
    Font - I went to my place of work, at which point one of the duty managers saw me and asked me what the heck I was doing here, go home, I was obviously very unwell. I explained what happened. They agreed to help me downstairs to Steve's office and went with me inside. I handed Steve the note. He looked worried and tried to say 'I wasn't being serious about firing you.' Well gee, when you angrily growled it down the phone it sure sounded like it. The duty manager then declared that they were goin
  • 08
    Font - Steve had a disciplinary hearing where he was given a severe reprimand and a warning. Steve tried to argue he never said Il'd be fired and I was lying and just decided to go to the doctors, but the duty manager said they heard him admit to it when he said to me that he really didn't mean it. I felt better after a few days, and enjoyed my two weeks off, fully paid, and enjoyed the nice weather we had. Meanwhile, Steve was forced to work overtime because we were short-staffed. So thanks to

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