'My boss keeps calling me when I'm home with pneumonia': Boss texts sick employee 15+ times asking for 'quick tasks'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 25, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

There are bosses with empathy, and then there's this dude. U/yodascousinkevin told this surprising story of what happened when they came down with a bout of pneumonia, only to find out their boss just would not leave them alone. 

We all want to feel unique and special and irreplaceable at our jobs. We want to think that the work we do is exceptional, and that the place just wouldn't run the same without us. In reality, everyone is replaceable. No one told that to the OP's boss, though, who is acting like the building's on fire without them there. They're quite literally treating the OP like the company can't run if they miss even a single day of work. 

Interestingly, in the comments, no one could agree who was in the right. Most encouraged the OP to report their boss's rapid-fire messages to HR, and told them they weren't the a-hole. A few others said the OP should have known better than to have no replacement for them, but that's more of their boss's responsibility than the OP's. And finally, others said everyone sucks here. They believe it'd be rude for the OP to block their boss's number. Maybe HR will let the OP do that anyway, and give the boss a scolding for bothering OP while sick in bed. 

Next up, these employees got fired at light speed for making hilariously dumb mistakes. 

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  • 01
    Drinkware - I'm tired of getting these messages'
    via Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - WIBTA If I Blocked My Boss's Number? Not the A-hole TL;DR, my boss keeps calling me when I'm home with pneumonia and calls me irresponsible for not having someone who can do my job in my absence. I'm tired of getting these messages and want to block his number but I'm not sure if that would be an asshole move.
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 03
    Font - I work in tech QA where I have 3 bosses and manage 4 people. One of my bosses, let's call him R, joined the project 4 months ago and, to his credit, has a very hard job in release management (making sure everything gets out on time). R works a lot of overtime, and he expects me and my coworkers in QA to do the same. I have stated to R numerous times I cant work overtime but I will be available to him from 10 to 6 Monday to Friday. My other 2 bosses are fine with this arrangement, but R re
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 04
    Font - This week, I caught pneumonia so I havent been working. I told all 3 of my bosses that I would be out until I felt better (we have a pretty generous sick day policy), and the other 2 were fine with it. R, however, has called me 4 times in 2 days and texted me 15+ times asking for me to do "quick tasks" to meet a deadline we have on Friday. These "quick tasks" are things where I'm the only one who knows how to do them, but are not small asks.
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 05
    Font - In response, R has called my management concerning and irresponsible since I dont have a backfill that can function efficiently in my absence. Everyone on my team is very new (started in the last month and a half), and they dont have system permissions to do what I do, but R does. The person who used to have Rs position used to be my backfill, but left the company on bad terms. So I have said I can complete these items when I return, or if it cant wait, this is how you can teach yourself
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 06
    Font - I feel like I'm being harassed for taking sick time and not being at work, and I want to set some boundaries that aren't being respected otherwise. But we do have a pretty hard deadline on Friday, and I get that R is in a tough position trying to get everything in order, and theres outstanding things that were my responsibility that aren't finished.
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 07
    Font - So, WIBTA if I blocked R's phone number and stated that R can email me or message me on the company's messaging system during work hours, but when I am not in the office, I will be unreachable, understanding that he cannot contact me in an emergency situation?
    via u/yodascousinkevin
  • 08
    Font - ✪ [deleted] NTA - report him to HR. You are ALLOWED to be sick and not be harassed.
    via u/deleted
  • 09
    Font - lolak1445 A Aficionado [18] NTA, but also probably not a good idea. If I were you I'd just text him a professional message of "I have taken sick days because I am sick. Please stop calling me and demanding I do work related tasks. I am taking sick days to recuperate, and it's hard to focus on getting well when you are frequently calling, expressing anger and stressing me out. Please respect my sick time." You also need to report this to HR because it's inappropriate. You are allowed to be
    via u/lolak1445
  • 10
    Font - JackNotName Prime Ministurd [558] YWBTA if you blocked your boss's number. That's just a bad idea. No good will come of it. However, you should sit down with HR when you get back in the office and lodge a complaint for R's behavior, as well as address all of this accusations.
    via u/JackNotName
  • 11
    Font - BoredP pless Parta pant [1] ESH. Your boss is a p - I had a boss who did much of the same. But you would be TA if you blocked him. Your credibility goes out the window. It looks terrible to corporate and it would at the very least spike tensions between you and R. HR would have to put one of you in a different department if you cant figure things out. If that's not possible, they will have to let one of you go.
    via u/BoredP**pless
  • 12
    Font - He is violating policy by contacting you during your excused absence. HR can handle that issue easily and it should alleviate tension once they hand him a resolution. Should it not, HR would be on your side. Get rid of this problem properly. Dont make a d move for no reason.
    via u/BoredP**pless
  • 13
    Font - [deleted] NTA it's kind of sad that people don't feel like they have this basic right. This would happen to me at a part time, minimum wage, crappy job and you better believe I never responded. I don't think it matters if you're an associate or management, you're not a slave to your job and you are not supposed to be working on your off time. Curious what country you're in though, this is going to differ legally depend on where you are.
    via u/deleted
  • 14
    Font - Furk A Aficionado [11] INFO - Does your company give you any stipend for your phone or give you a business phone? 6 Share yodascousinkevin OP. No it's my personal phone
    via u/Furk
  • 15
    Font - Furk Aficionad... - if your Then NTA - personal work expectation is to be working and available from 10- 6 then you're good. Depending on your phone i believe you can set it up to not let it ring through but you'll still see you were called and maybe that's better than a straight block since it's possible they'll be looking for you during the work day.
    via u/Furk
  • 16
    Font - tisonlymoi Parta pant [3] I refused to give my employer, they claimed they needed it incase of emergencies, I had already given them a number, they insisted it had to be MY home number, no point as I was living on my own, if I was injured at work, what's the point. Don't have give them your private number
    via u/tisonlymoi
  • 17
    Font - + [deleted] Can you put his calls on silent so you receive them and can call/text him back when you're at work? If you're not paid to be on call, he has no right to your time outside of work.
    via u/deleted
  • 18
    Font - Bangbangsmashsmash. Partas pant [1] NTA, but don't block! Report this to HR. What he's doing is illegal!! You have a right to sick leave
    via u/Bangbangsmashsmash
  • 19
    Font - redditKMC Colo-rectal Surgeon [35] NAH - you know you are the only one who knows how to do those tasks, and the work has to get out. It is up to HR to make sure someone is trained that can do the things you can, but in the meantime, you don't leave other companies screwed without product.
    via u/redditKMC
  • 20
    Font - Some jobs you are required to stay in contact. If you are the only one who knows how to do something and you block your phone, there could be major issues. Tell him the next time he calls that he will have to make sure someone else is trained to do this, and you will not be taking any more calls while you are sick. Do not just turn your phone off though.
    via u/redditKMC
  • 21
    Font - animeari ESH. It's stupid of you to block your bosses number because it's really unprofessional behavior and likewise is it unprofessional for R to be spamming you all the time while you're on PTO. BUT You yourself said that a lot of these tasks can't be completed because you're the only one who knows how to do them since the changeover in R's position. I feel that it's kind of your fault that you haven't trained R or
    via u/animeari
  • 22
    Font - anyone else to do these tasks while you're not there. Are you really okay at just grinding workflow to a halt when you're gone? That just seems wrong to me. I don't know the reasons why you don't have a backup that can do your work but that more than anything needs to be rectified and unfortunately in the meantime, you're gonna have to deal with R calling you and helping out when you're off until you can train someone else. That's the problem with being the big dog in the house.
    via u/animeari

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boss work from home workplace-stories jobs employee work stories toxic-workplace job sickness horrible-management Horrible Bosses sick home
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