'My job can be done 100% remotely': Sick employee has to get doctor's note in order to work from home, doctor writes sassy message

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

There are so many red flags to look out for in corporate culture these days, but having to produce a sick note in order to work from home for more than two days has to be at the top of the list. In this case, we have a sick employee who had to go to the hospital numerous times for a rare cold/flu that was not easy for the doctors to diagnose. Obviously, we know what you're thinking. This illness sounds like your worst nightmare or the beginning of a horror movie. Instead, the horror story really starts to take shape when the employee's boss decided to be straight-up awful. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Tableware - 36
    via Kelly Sikkema

  • After a few days of being under the weather, this employee was not getting better, so coming into the office and potentially infecting her coworkers certainly shouldn't have been an option, yet that's what her manager was pressuring her to do. The other option was to bother her very busy doctor and get a note.

    The Redditor had enough sense to go with the latter option, albeit with some malicious compliance. Her doctor immediately rolled his eyes and wrote up a sassy message. Shoutout to this man for taking the opportunity to objectively call out OP's boss on their nonsense. We should also address the fact that perhaps OP shouldn't even have been working from home during this time. She should be able to fully take off and rest until she's fully recovered. Her work will inevitably suffer anyway. We all know at this point that the concept of rallying doesn't actually work.

    Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. For more content like this, check out this story about a student who maliciously complied and caused his teacher to lose.

  • 02
    Font - I need a doctors note to work from home for more than 2 days while I have an unidentified presumably contagious illness? If you insist! M OC It's a tale as old as job (which, to be fair, I freaking adore working at and am so grateful for and happy at) requires a doctors note because I've been sick and working from home for 2 days. my
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 03
    Font - Now, I haven't just had a minor cold or flu. Several days ago, I came down with the worst cold/flu symptoms you can imagine, and then things starting going downhill from there. It got to the point where I have now been to the ER 2 days in a row because of tonsillitis and excruciating pain brought on by swallowing tiny sips of water. It's not great. And despite a whole battery of swabs and tests, the doctors don't know what the underlying bacteria or virus causing these symptoms is.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 04
    Font - Obviously, there's no way in I want to infect my coworkers with this plague, so I told HR that I would be working from home until I'm feeling better, since my job can be done 100% remotely. They hit me back with the ever-famous "If you need to work from home for more than 2 days in a week, you'll need a doctors note since it's against policy."
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 05
    Font - My first instinct was to just go in to work looking, sounding, and feeling like death warmed up. But a) I don't want to infect my colleagues, and b) I legitimately believe that I would pass out on my walk to work and would have to be taken to the hospital yet again.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 06
    Font - Instead, I spoke to the ER doctor from earlier this evening (my second visit in as many days). I asked him how long he thought I should stay away from work/work from home, and then told him I needed a note so I could stay home.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 07
    Font - He had a brief flash of vaguely furious "What the!" cross his face at the ides that my job would force someone as sick as I am to come in and risk the health of those around me, then assured me he would write the note. I was thinking it would just be a basic "LuluGingerspice should continue to work from home until the end of the week."
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 08
    Font - Nah, bro came through for me. He wrote a note saying that I should be off of work for at minimum another week, then added the piece de resistance as his last line: "Infectious disease requires more time [than 2 days] to improve."
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 09
    Gesture - Mooncakequeen. 9 hr. ago Seriously doctors who off for get unreasonable requests from your work are the best!
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 10
    Font - budgiesarethebest. 9 hr. ago Once again I'm incredibly grateful to live in a country where I can stay at home and recover WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK FROM HOME C
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 11
    Font - boRp_abc 8 hr. ago Ah, I remember my old work. Required a doctor's note for everything. So when I left early (I have a chronic disease, this would happen every 1-2 months) I HAD to miss the next day as well in order to go see my doctor. And my doctor being a funny lady, she always extended that note until the next weekend.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 12
    Font - chaenorrhinum. 8 hr. ago You are wrong and your doctor is right. You should BE OFF WORK while you are sick. Stop kissing the southbound end of a northbound employer who would can your in a heartbeat the moment it would save them 75¢.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 13
    Font - CrazyIcecap 9 hr. ago Where i work, you need a doctor's note from day 3 on. My Boss insists on day 1. Ok, he gets it. But if you go to the doctor, you usually get a note for a full week. So, instead of 1 or 2 days, i stay at home the whole week. Fully paid. And in my country you get as many sick days as you need.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 14
    Gesture - GRO TO Andrea_frm_DubT. 9 hr. ago Your doc is awesome. I hope you have paid sick leave.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 15
    Font - WIEM fudgegiven 8 hr. ago Sick means stay home and not work. This might need a doctors note if extended. In my case if it over 3 days. But working from home is working. No need for doctors note.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 16
    Font - MazeMouse 6 hr. ago . This is such a holdover from old-timey management. Where they gaslighted people into believing that "Coming into work sick and suffering" is a badge of honor instead of pure stupidity.
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 17
    Font - Original_Bar_9243 - 7 hr. ago If you are sick, you stay home and get well. You don't work! Not even from home. In what kind of dystopia are we living
    via u/lulugingerspice
  • 18
    Font - Rich4477 8 hr. ago . Tell them you want to use sick days and that means not working at all.
    via u/lulugingerspice

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit doctor sick reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article