Employee requests three days off, boss demands doctor's note, doctor gets him six weeks off: 'They did not look pleased'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 30, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

Trying to mess with an employee's time off is a risky game. These bosses claimed that they understood when their employee requested to have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off because of extreme burnout. Not only did these two supervisors deny the request, but also they tried to get this guy to cover an extra shift. It was as if the entire burnout conversation went in one ear and out the other, as if it did not matter.

When the Redditor tried to reason with his supervisors, he had mentioned his doctor's recommendation for some time off. Of course, his supervisors interpreted this whole exchange as an excuse to demand a doctor's note. Well, good news! The Redditor already had a follow-up appointment scheduled and his doctor was very much in his corner. Not only did the supervisors receive said note, but also they came to learn that the request for a few days off had been amended to a demand for at least six weeks off with no confirmed return date.

Keep scrolling below to see how the bosses reacted. For more stories like this, check out this post about a guy who was fired for having no work to do in the last five minutes of his shift.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 9929770752
    via Unseen Studio
  • 02
    I asked for 3 days off, they asked for a doctor's note, so I have way more than 3 days off. M Hello Reddit, I lurk a lot and realized I had my own malicious compliance a few weeks ago.
    via theadorableminion
  • 03
    My job is very mentally taxing. I also have my own mental health issues so I try my best to balance, but I just want to help so I get caught up taking more responsibilities than I am actually able to.
    via theadorableminion
  • 04
    So a couple of weeks ago I realize my mental health is in steep decline, I was ignoring the signs to push through, but anyone with mental health issues knows that you can only ignore the signs for so long. I try to get ahead of a mental crash and talk to my supervisor to tell them that I need 3 days off (W, T, F) and as I had the weekend off after the days I requested I figured that might be enough to get a good rest and reset. I did tell my supervisor why I needed the days (burnout, mental heal
    via theadorableminion
  • 05
    They contact me back (I say they because right now I technically have 2 supervisors running my division) and say they can probably give me Wed., Thurs., but that they couldn't give me Fri, I ask if we can do Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday instead and I could work the Friday, have my long weekend and that should still be fine. They say they will get back to me, I get a text soon after to ask me to help cover other shifts. And I obviously can't, so I decline.
    via theadorableminion
  • 06
    They get back to me the next day. "We can get your shifts covered for Wednesday and Thursday, but not Tuesday and you have to make up the hours" That was the straw. I just broke, I was asking for a break because I was working too much because it was hard for me to say no. I even call them (they had me on speaker) in tears and explain even further why I need the days, I have
    via theadorableminion
  • 07
    been going through trauma therapy and my mental health has been declining. I had told them that I had spoken to my doctor and that my doctor said I was showing signs of burnout and recommended some days off (which is true, as I had talked to him the day before). All they heard was doctor and said "we need a doctor's note".
    via theadorableminion
  • 08
    Okay fine, good thing I have another appointment. I had to work that day just defeated because they couldn't find anyone to cover my shifts. I talk to my doctor and he says that he can tell I'm in distress and he puts me on 2 weeks of leave immediately.
    via theadorableminion
  • 09
    They did not look pleased when I handed in my doctors note. That was 2 weeks ago, I went back to the doctor and he extended my leave for AT LEAST another month. Cause you know straw broke the camels back and my mental health just went down the drain.
    via theadorableminion
  • 10
    Oh also, when I gave them my doctor's note with 4 weeks on it, one of them wouldn't even look at me and the other just said "oh doctor's note, thanks."
    via theadorableminion
  • 11
    TLDR: So that's the story of how I asked for 3 days off to try to rest and reset and ended up with at least 6 weeks, with no confirmed return date.
    via theadorableminion
  • 12
    Edit 1: holy barnacles this blew up! I thank everyone for all their support! Also for all those asking, no I am not in America. And I was able to apply for sickness benefits.
    via theadorableminion
  • 13
    Edit 2: I can't thank everyone enough for the support, it is immensely encouraging! My husband has been reading your lovely comments, I wish I could reply to them all. For everyone having their own struggles and still being so kind, it is very appreciated, and I'm hoping everyone gets what they need to recover / get better! ❤
    via theadorableminion
  • 14
    embroid3rybitch . Lol, i read the "oh doctors note, thanks" like the kid with the avocado. And good on your doctor seeing you were burning out and giving those first 2 weeks off. ✩ 4.6K Reply
    via theadorableminion
  • 15
    Vox Popsicle ⚫ I hope the rest and reset really helps you. Remember how they treated you- like a piece of a machine, something to wring profit out of. A new job may be in order. 4.4K Reply ...
    via theadorableminion
  • 16
    [deleted] In maintainer terms, this illustrate the preventive vs corrective maintenance problem. You have been treated like the company truck... (You poor thing...) You ask 3 day for a preventive maintenance, "IMPOSSIBLE". 10 days later the truck is FUBAR and wont be on the road for weeks, maybe months..." ok". Everything is impossible until no choice is given. This is mostly due to the fact that, by peter principle, todays workplace leaders are incompetent, promote toxic leadership and were nev
    via theadorableminion
  • 17
    tymondeus "Oh, doctor's note, thanks", lol, I think it was the other guy's idea that was just rubbing it in. 1.4K Reply
    via theadorableminion
  • 18
    RobinLouiseVV. I don't understand how companies can work like that. You need to take good care of your employees. I got my hand stuck between something last week. Took my fingernail off. My work told me. Just stay home for a couple of days. And let us know how things are going. And that's how it's suppose to be.
    via theadorableminion
  • 19
    Cfwydirk. Good, your Dr. has your back. Many of us are used to never enough people to get the job done and do the best you can. My favorite is when you take a weeks vacation, they had no one do any of your work. When you come back from vacation they want you to do both weeks work and have it done by Friday!
    via theadorableminion

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job malicious compliance work reddit thread Reddit company workplace malicious compliance toxic-work-environment
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