'We're praying for you but you're fired': 17-year-old gets fired from first job for not personally calling in sick after getting admitted to the hospital

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 10, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

There are plenty of folks who do not look back fondly on their first job. Entering a professional setting without any relevant experience can be a daunting learning curve for anyone, regardless of the industry. However, no matter how much experience you may or may not have regarding the working world, sometimes, abhorrent behavior is so obvious that you know you have been wronged. You don't even question if this is "how things are done" no matter what your employer tries to tell you. You know that your boss has crossed a line. 

In this instance, a highly overworked 17-year-old found herself fainted suddenly and ended up in the emergency room. She had her parents and grandparents contact her employer at the local bed and breakfast where she worked. Her boss demanded a doctor's note, which her mother subsequently delivered in person a few hours later. However, that wasn't enough for her boss, who wanted to be personally contacted by the teenager herself. Now, the 17-year-old was unable to make contact given that she was in the emergency room and had a lot on her plate. Despite various attempts at explaining this, the teenager was fired unceremoniously. 

Keep scrolling below for the full text exchange and the outrage in the comments section. For more, check out this post about an overworked IT guy who gave his boss an ultimatum.

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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 UnsupervisedMink
  • 02
    Disclaimer: I do not personally know the family involved. This was posted in a private, local Facebook group that verifies local residency of all members. Employer is a local bed and breakfast in South Haven, MI. Original post body is as follows, redacting name + employer.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 03
    My [daughter] fainted this morning and ended up in the ER We were there all morning and she still doesn't feel well.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 04
    She works at [employer] here in south haven and as soon the incident occurred they were told.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 05
    They asked for a doctor note so I brought it to them personally and the owner was extremely r and I was told that she needs to call.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 06
    [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 UnsupervisedMink
  • 07
    These people want to call themselves Ch do this and then If we are wrong please let me know but I am completely stunned
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 08
    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 UnsupervisedMink
  • 09
    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 smock an
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 10
    DarthBacon8or "Praying for you" but also a you for being sick/injured. This boss is a huge f℃ ре po.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 11
    A. . 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 UnsupervisedMink
  • 12
    JanxAngel "We're praying for you but you're fired."
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 13
    Ill_Quantity_5634 • 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,
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 14
    because in some places each day they withhold the final pay costs them $$$ in fines.
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 15
    54sharks40 Oh you go right to the local news with that
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 16
    O G.. 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 UnsupervisedMink
  • 17
    AdvisorFun8963 I got fired for the same thing in college. Had my roommate who also worked at the same place (in the dorm no less) tell the boss | was knocked out from a stomach flu and wouldn't make work, he even covered for me. She told me I was fired. I proceeded to get up
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 18
    and walk out. She was confused because she wanted to discuss with me what happened. I told her I didn't work for her any longer so why the would I sit around and let her bash me. On the way out, in my not so greatest moment,
    via UnsupervisedMink
  • 19
    told her she had an ugly baby (she had just given birth a couple months earlier and she had a creepy looking kid. She was a residence director so her and her family lived in the dorm. This was early in the school year so we still had to see each other every day)
    via UnsupervisedMink

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