'We are replaceable': Unlucky worker gets swiftly replaced after calling out of one shift

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 22, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

A Reddit exchange that I think about a lot is this: "What feels illegal but isn't" "Calling in sick from work when you're sick." It's so relatable, and put language to something we've all felt at one time or another. Even when I'm actually sick, calling out of work still gives me a rush of anxiety and guilt. I wish it didn't, because it's better for everyone in the long run if we don't come in when we're under the weather. We recover faster by resting, so we can get back to work sooner, and we lower the risk of passing on our illness to our coworkers. 

So why does it still feel so illegal? Because we have a toxic work culture that doesn't prioritize health? Perhaps. An unlucky worker felt the real-life repercussions of this and quickly learned that that seemingly irrational fear is actually rational. I guess our fears our founded after all.

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  • 01
    r/antiwork u/No-Poem166 · 20h My boyfriend got fired for being sick for one day
    via u/No-Poem166
  • 02
    Hey, I've either got Covid or the flu and I pretty sure I'm not going to be feeling good enough to work tomorrow Yesterday 3:59 PM Thanks for letting me know. I really need a 4th guy for the week so I will reach out to some contractors. I hope you feel better soon Yeah hopefully I can get back to work for Tuesday. Feeling really atm tho. Will keep you posted Today 7:36 AM Sorry man I've found someone to fill this week Today 12:23 PM Oh okay I'll See you next Monday then? No I've got the new guy
    via u/No-Poem166
  • 03
    OwOthebrowsingboi • 18h Hey my job just did this to me, took a day off and went looking for a dentist because i had a tooth infection and was in near completely cripplingly agony Got fired for being late like 2 days later despite giving notice i had a visit to the dentist in the morning Boss was one of those "work till your happy" out suffer you types Told her my tooth was starting to hurt very badly and her response was literally "well my dad molested and beat me as a kid and i still showed up
    via u/OwOthebrowsingboi
  • 04
    [deleted] ⚫ 18h • The older i get, the more I can completely understand why people eventually just give up on the 'system' and claim benefits or turn to crime.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    Proper Purple3674 • 18h Absolutely. It doesn't help the rich get away with legalized crime. They paid off attorneys and politicians to write crime into law for them (stock buybacks anyone? crime.) tax loop holes, but the rest of us are supposed to bend over and play nice and for what? So they can fire us at any time so their last quarter looks a little better? No Billionaire deserves to ever live a day in peace as long as their greedy exists.
    via u/Proper_Purple3674
  • 06
    DJGammaRabbit • 16h I worked in a grocery store for 2.5 years, covered other people's shifts and never took a day off. One day my car died on the drive there so I called my boss to say I'd need to find a ride, I'd be late. Her reply was "I don't think you want to work here." She then put her husband on the phone and he claimed I was always calling sick. I had to remind him that in 2.5 years I've never called in sick. He didn't even know my name. He thought he was talking to the other coworker wh
    via u/DJGammaRabbit
  • 07
    Extra-Historian5714 20h He will be better off in the long run not working for this d bag. Sorry OP hopefully he lands on his feet somewhere soon
    via u/Extra-Historian5714
  • 08
    Shinigami-Kaze • 20h If you're a contractor, I believe they can refuse you at any time unless you have a contract.
    via u/Shinigami-Kaze
  • 09
    No-Poem166 OP • 20h He isn't a contractor, he was an employee. It's pretty disgusting to put someone out of work instantly like that. Never took a sick day before but he's been dying at home with a fever.
    via u/No-Poem166
  • 10
    Shinigami-Kaze • 20h He might be able to get unemployment benefits then. I'd look into that. Yeah, it . They want two weeks' notice when you want to leave, but it doesn't work both ways.
    via u/Shinigami-Kaze
  • 11
    DefinitelyNotThatOne ⚫ 16h Funnily enough, I work in commission sales, and if you plan on leaving its courtesy to give time but, everytime someone does, it's like, "Did you wanna work two weeks? Cause if not, either way." lol More sales for the staff and the manager doesn't have to track/work those sales after they leave, and it takes some vendors 3-4 months to get their product out.
    via u/DefinitelyNotThatOne
  • 12
    poshenclave. 17h OP explains in a comment that the 'talk at the shop' mentioned was an agreement to be employed until the end of the month. So, either OP's man is owed whatever PTO the job comes with until then, or they're being terminated early at will. Either way, the employer needs to be clear about which one it is and they're being cagey about it because they're hoping to not pay for either.
    via u/poshenclave
  • 13
    FrolickWithTony ⚫ 20h • Get proof of a positive test and send this to the labor board.
    via u/FrolickWithTony
  • 14
    DirtyPoolGuy • 16h He was looking for a reason to fire him and when he found the other guy that's all it took.
    via u/DirtyPoolGuy
  • 15
    FluxRaeder • 16h The work culture of just "sucking it up" when you're sick is so stupid and shortsighted: wouldn't you rather the sick employee take the day off to get better faster, rather than performing below peak for longer because they are unwell? Not to mention all the co-workers they are now exposing to the same illness, thus decreasing productivity across the board for exponentially longer than if they'd just cut the dude some slack
    via u/FluxRaeder
  • 16
    No-Poem166 OP - 20h Just a long disgruntled -sigh- for this kind of behaviour. Bosses really know how to be . The "talk at the shop" was about work finishing at the end of the month, but now he is jobless abruptly for getting a horrible flu.
    via u/No-Poem166
  • 17
    DefiniteConfiscation • 15h Sad reality that we are replaceable at work no matter what we do
    via u/DefiniteConfiscation

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antiwork workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace sick day work coworkers toxic-management illness toxic-boss workplace reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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