'My supervisor turns up unannounced': Guy's manager shows up at home while he's on sick leave to intimidate him

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 17, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

Calling an employee's sick leave into question is one of those toxic workplace traits one would hope would have been eradicated by now, but unfortunately, you can't stop horrible bosses from being horrible. 

This thread was posted to Reddit by u/BigJhed, who had been working as a civil engineer when he had to request three months off on sick leave while recovering from an unfortunate car accident. By the end of this period, his supervisor informed OP that his paid sick leave would expire at the beginning of next month. This could have been an email, but the supervisor decided to take things a step further. He showed up at OP's house and woke up his family to deliver the news personally (and to clearly check up on OP). Thankfully, OP was in the bathroom when the whole interaction transpired. Still, it just goes to show that there are some folks out there who still believe rallying through injury is a sign of grit rather than a sign of stupidity. Wake up, managers! That mentality is unhealthy and unwanted by your employees! That's how you lose a sense of loyalty among the people you have working for you. Just ask OP!

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, here's another post about an employee whose PTO request was accepted and then shadily revoked.

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  • 01
    Plant - "[My] supervisor turned up at my house while on sick leave."
    via Phil Hearing
  • 02
    Font - Supervisor turned up at my house while on sick leave. Was in a car crash at the end of June and have a herniated disc as a result. Luckily my employer is pretty generous and I get 3 months full pay for sick leave.(I work as a civil engineer which is rather physical, hence me not rushing back) I've kept regular contact with my supervisor and manager, I had just spoke to my manager last Friday and emailed him a new sick note to cover my absence from my doctor.
    via u/BigJhed
  • 03
    Font - Today my supervisor turns up unannounced knocking on my door and wakes my Baby, my wife was upstairs having just got her to sleep. He was here to hand deliver a letter to inform me as of October 9 my full sick pay will run out. I was on the toilet luckily so I missed him.
    via u/BigJhed
  • 04
    Font - Just really me off to have my personal space invaded when he could have just sent and email! Feels like he's trying to intimidate me. I've got a new job lined up for when my sick pay ends so guy. Othat
    via u/BigJhed
  • 05
    Font - [edit] Just to add a bit more information, I initially had a month off after the accident. I went back in for a week, but the nature of my job meant I was just making my back worse. Also my supervisor is a bully who likes to throw his weight around at our yard. I know for a fact this was an intimidation tactic.
    via u/BigJhed
  • 06
    Font - Scouthawkk 6 hr. ago . I would email HR, along the lines of asking them if they knew supervisor did this. I'm willing to bet they don't know. If your sick leave is coinciding with US- based FMLA, that's an egregious breach of federal laws that govern FMLA. 2.4k Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 07
    Font - BigJhed OP 5 hr. ago I'm going to email HR this evening, I'm also in a union so gonna get speak to a rep tomorrow also. Probably should of added in op, that I'm in the uk. 1.7k Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 08
    Font - onhoovesofgold. 4 hr. ago Go to his house in the middle of the night and hand him your resignation lol. 4 862 Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 09
    Font - ellasfella68 4 hr. ago He was checking to make sure you weren't doing cartwheels whilst trying to lift a Mini Cooper above your head. Glad you were 413 Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 10
    Font - MontCoDubV4 hr. ago Feels like he's trying to intimidate me. Maybe a little, but his true purpose was to check if you're really injured/sick. He wanted to catch you doing something physical that your doctor's note said you shouldn't be doing so that he can claim you're using your sick leave improperly. 301 Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 11
    Font - zonethelonelys 5 hr. ago I feel like there was a time where this was normal and done with good intentions; I long for it though it probably never existed 125 Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 12
    Font - meontheweb - 4 hr. ago How does a supervisor, or anyone for that matter even have the time to show up at an employees residence?! One place I worked at we had a supervisor and employee live nearby each other, and we had to provide the employee with their separation papers. The supervisor said that they would drop it off -- but forget that; we couriered the papers over. That's just creepy and stupid. 74 Reply Share
    via u/BigJhed
  • 13
    Font - C WearierEarthling. 5 hr. ago A co-worker told me that when she worked for Bell Telephone, if you called out sick, someone would come to your home to check up on you. This would have been 50s/60s US, she worked in Philly, PA office. I had never heard of this before but it's def still intrusive & even more so since now there are so many other ways to contact you. Add me to the list of people who are curious about who authorized this, if anyone
    via u/BigJhed
  • 14
    Font - theJGrimm 4 hr. ago . I am pretty sure it is a major HR violation for them to have searched up your address to do this. Employee contact information is a protected piece of data and a severe breach of privacy. At least in the USA
    via u/BigJhed
  • 15
    Font - Y-Cha 4 hr. ago Seems wholly unnecessary (on their part). Could have checked in via phone - video call, even. If you needed to sign to verify that the two of you had spoken, or that you'd been given documentation of when your coverage would cease, that also could have been done electronically. It's 2023.
    via u/BigJhed
  • 16
    Font - MyOther_UN_is_Clever - 1 hr. ago Lets pretend for a moment they felt this needed verification of delivery. That's literally what certified mail is for. I would also point out to HR they took time away from work to drive to your house to do this.
    via u/BigJhed

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