Employer fires 17-year-old employee after they miss a shift due to hospitalization, despite family phoning boss: 'At this point we are terminating your employment'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 25, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

When the worst happens, you might hope that those with authority in your life would have your back, meeting the needs of the situation rather than taking it as a chance to exert their authority and kick you while you're down, attempting to hold you to uncertain terms of an agreement that shouldn't be in the forefront of anyone's mind. Unfortunately, the world is not quite so forgiving, and you'll often find that when it comes to professional arrangements, your personal needs and the situation presented by your current predicament aren't worth much at all when it stands to affect the bottom line. 

Of course, there are those out there who would seek to do whatever they can for someone in need, whether they have an obligation or not, but those people are not the alleged employer in this thread, which was shared with this popular workplace community yesterday.

This poster shared screenshots of a text message that appears to be from an employer letting their employee know that they were being terminated for failing to notify the employer of their absence. 

A message shared alongside the text is reportedly from the employee's mother, detailing the circumstances of the termination and how the employee was fired after missing their shift following an emergency hospitalization. Relatives of the employee messaged the employer before their shift began, but because the employee did not message themself to notify of their absence, the employer declared it to be a breach of their employment terms regardless.

See the original post below, along with reactions from the online community where the story went viral.

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  • 01
    "17-year-old employee ends up in ER before scheduled shift, her mother and grandmother both call in on her behalf. Still gets fired for not personally calling in..."
    via Ani Kolleshi
  • 02
    17-year-old employee ends up in ER before scheduled shift, her mother and grandmother both call in on her behalf. Still gets fired for not personally calling in.
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 03
    3:25 Photo HA HA Hi Seems like it's been a tough day and I'm sorry. I've been praying for you. We understand the emergent nature this morning and appreciate your grandma calling. However we've yet to hear from you. Your mom dropped off the doctors note, which was signed at 11:46 am, at 1:30 pm and I asked her to have you call. We've not yet heard from you and it's now well beyond today's scheduled shift. At this point we are terminating your employment. Please let us know when you can return the
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 04

    The below text is was shared to this popular online community, redacted by the original poster to remove possible identifying information

    My [daughter] fainted this morning and ended up in the ER We were there all morning and she still doesn't feel well. She works at [employer] here in sc and as soon the incident occurred they were told. They asked for a doctor note so I brought it to them personally and the owner was extremely told that she needs to call. and I was
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 05
    [Name] was at home, in bed, and recovering from not only a stressful day but she fainted and we don't know why! This was her first time calling in and we did just that!
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 06
    If we are wrong please let me know but I am completely stunned I wanted to add that I was at work so when she fainted my mom called her employer to let them know... that was about 9am I brought the letter at about 130
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 07
    • Agent-c1983 · 6 hr. ago Take that to every local news outlet. Make their name mud.
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 08
    Ill_Quantity_5634 · 4 hr. ago Don't forget to give the Department of Labor a jingle, too. It's illegal to withhold a final paycheck on the condition if returning property. They must immediately pay her the final paycheck. They can get their back whenever is convenient for her. Check your state labor laws, because in some places each day they withhold the final pay costs them $$$ in fines.
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 09
    Amityhuman 5 hr. ago . • edited 1 hr. ago They tried to fire a coworker of mine while she was in a coma. Our union had to fight tooth and nail for her job.
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 10
    effasteriskck · 4 hr. ago When i was 17 I was fired from B. I flipped my car into a ditch hitting black ice and called my supervisor to let them know I wouldn't be in that day after-school and explained what happened. The next day when I went in, I was informed I had been fired for a no call/no show. Apparently I spoke with the wrong supervisor. Cool. That was the beginning of me having zero respect for a job..
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 11
    GrumpygamerSF . 4 hr. ago . edited 2 hr. ago I would like to know what difference it makes who contacts the employer so long as they have the valid doctors note. In fact legally the next of kin can contact the employer in case of emergencies and speak on their behalf.
    via u/UnsupervisedMink
  • 12
    Large-Client-6024 - 4 hr. ago "...Let us know when you can return the smock..." Right after I speak to my lawyer,
    via u/UnsupervisedMink

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