'This was a massive waste of my time': Cashier forced to get a doctor's note so she can drink water during her shift, doctor writes savage takedown of management

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 19, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

It comes as no surprise that at most companies, management tends to periodically enforce tone-deaf rules that can make employees feel undervalued. Sometimes that comes in the form of a new organizational structure, altered schedules, or reinforcing certain ways of doing things that employees know with certainty do not work. However, it comes with the territory of working at a company where management is largely absent but weirdly strict. 

 

In this case, we have a pharmacy that shall not be named whose employees were recently told could no longer drink water during their work shifts unless they were in the middle of lunch or a designated break period. Otherwise, they couldn't have water on hand behind the counter no matter how empty the store was or how thirsty they were. One employee confronted their immediate supervisor about this and requested an exception because of a medical condition. The supervisor, who also shared this Reddit thread to the r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, told his employee it was perfectly fine. However, when his manager visited the store, the problem started to escalate.

 

That manager required the employee to have a doctor's note on hand the next time he comes by and sees her with a bottle of water nearby. Well, the employee did exactly that, and her doctor may just be our new favorite hero. Keep scrolling below to see what exactly the doctor had to say. 

 

For more stories like this, check out this post about another employee's malicious compliance after she kept getting bothered about bringing donuts to the office.

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  • 01
    Photograph - "How a local doctor got the best malicious compliance against my boss"
    via Unseen Studio
  • 02
    Font - How a local doctor got the best malicious compliance against my boss. M OC Somewhere around 2007 I was working as a drug store manager. Running the entire front store and the pharmacy, pay was excellent for someone who was in their early to mid 20s but the job was also soul crushing in some stupid ways.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 03
    Font - A rule came down that cashiers can no longer have drinks at the register. They can drink on their lunch breaks and otherwise shouldn't need water. At the same time they dialed back the A/C so the store was constantly uncomfortably warm but not technically dangerous.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 04
    Font - I had some of the best staff, one lady was roughly 65 and came to me to let me know she was on medicine that gave her dry mouth so she needed me to know if I took her water away she would really have a hard time being able to talk to customers. She almost developed a lisp when she couldn't have her water. I told her no worries have your water I'll deal with my boss when he sees you someday.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 05
    Font - Because he was running 40 stores and mine was generally not a problem store, he only came by every 60 days or so. Eventually he does swing in and asks her about her water. She says I have a medical condition and I told her it was fine. I also told him I had approved the water.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 06
    Font - He pulls me into the office to let me know that for her to have that water she needs a doctors note. If he sees her with it again without a note we both get written warnings. He explains this is because not following the company rule can't be a decision made by me. I'm flabbergasted. I'm just the manager in charge of the store. This company literally made me do drills on how to deal with or but I can't approve a bottle of water? It must be an exception deemed necessary for medical needs.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 07
    Font - I explain this is stupid, he actually agrees but says he's also following orders from above. Great. I pull my cashier aside and tell her what's up. I said I'm really sorry but can she please just get her doctor to fax a stupid note over so we can cover our ? She got a little gleam in her eye and I was excited to see what it meant.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 08
    Font - Her next shift she rolls in and says you are going to love this! She hands me about 100 copies of a letter that says something along the lines of: "I do solemnly state that "cashier" is medically a human being and requires water on regular intervals while working and not solely during breaks.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 09
    Font - This was a massive waste of my time and your company should be ashamed of yourself. I will be recommending your competitor as much as humanly possible to my patients who fill prescriptions in this town for the rest of my natural life. Doctor "I
    via u/redmayapril
  • 10
    Font - The next 40 were identical letters each with a different staff member listed as my genius cashier has snagged an old schedule with first names and last initials. The rest had a blank space for me to fill in new hire names so our staff could all have drinks on the sales floor.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 11
    Font - My boss wasn't even mad. None of the higher ups above him ever mentioned it on a store walk so I assume it was covered in a meeting of people higher up than me. 97 people here 190 Comments + Award :
    via u/redmayapril
  • 12
    Font - useless_99 16 hr. ago I lost it both on 'medically a human being' and 'for the rest of my natural life.' Incredible. Vote Reply Share
    via u/redmayapril
  • 13
    Font - Kitchen-Arm7300. 18 hr. ago This is perfect! Revenge is a glass best served cold! XD
    via u/redmayapril
  • 14
    Font - MidLifeEducation +2 - 18 hr. ago Preferably ICE cold Vote Reply Share Rebel Without_Claws 17 hr. ago. edited 17 hr. ago Preferably ICE cold water, with a note from a doctor
    via u/redmayapril
  • 15
    Rectangle - bae_platinum I love this so much. That's such a dumb rule and nobody should have to deal with that. 18 hr. ago
    via u/redmayapril
  • 16
    Font - blackav3nger 18 hr. ago Upvoted, laughed at the corporate dunderheads and enjoyed this immensely!!
    via u/redmayapril
  • 17
    Font - Fearless-Age5158. 18 hr. ago I am a cashier required by corporate to greet every customer who comes through the doors of our store. My place of employment required me to also get a Doctor's note so that I could keep a bottle of water (hidden from view) near my cash register. I'm in my 60's with health issues.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 18
    Font - wolfgang784 16 hr. ago . I had to get a doctor's note to have my choice of water or Gatorade at my register while working for Giant/AHOLD. I did actually have a legit medical reason (it's solved now, took a few years) though. I would legit have fainted and fallen over if I had to work a whole shift without drinking every little bit. I did a few times in other situations.
    via u/redmayapril
  • 19
    Font - Management still gave me for it constantly though, and me being a very shy high schooler at the time I just took it from them. The time I took a swig of water on a busy Sunday while a company exec was visiting - hooooo boy, lol. Management was NOT happy. em.
    via u/redmayapril

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customer service boss workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit toxic-management workplace reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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