'You get paid more than I do. You figure it out': Sick employee pressured to come in after manager can't find coverage

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 24, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Calling out sick when you need the money is not something employees want to do. Of course, most managers don't even consider this. They just assumed that the sick employee is just lazy, when in reality, it often takes a lot of effort and strength to admit to oneself and to others that you're not well enough to do your job today. 

As for how this manager reacted to an employee's health update, it should be up to the manager to find last-minute coverage; that is, after all, a manager's role. Employees, especially sick ones, should not be held responsible for contingency plans. If an employee calls out sick and the whole workflow suffers because of one day, that is more reflective of the manager's disorganization than anything else.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about the most useless, high-paying jobs

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10408298240
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    can an employer say 'no' to me calling out sick? i work in a chain retail store (in california, in case that's relevant) and i messaged my manager today about 6 hours before my shift letting her know i wasn't feeling well, and couldn't come in to work.
    via g3shy
  • 03
    she told me i need to find coverage, or come in. i asked everyone available if they could cover for me, and not a single person responded. i let my manager know about the situation,
    via g3shy
  • 04
    and her only response was "sorry, we need the coverage so you'll need to come in". so now im on my way to work, with a blinding migraine.
    via g3shy
  • 05
    is this..allowed? i've never had a job do this before, i've always just been able to call out if i need to. this is the second time this exact thing has happened, the last time it happened i had and was still told to come in for the day, again because we "need the coverage".
    via g3shy
  • 06
    the whole thing just doesn't sit well with me. i understand lack of coverage can be difficult, but as an employee (meaning not in any manager/supervisory role) that isn't something i should have to feel responsible for.
    via g3shy
  • 07
    EDIT: thank yall for ur responses, even the ones calling me stupid. since this was brought up in a comment, i do have various medical conditions that do qualify me as a person with
    via g3shy
  • 08
    but the only "paperwork" i have is some MyChart forms filled out by a previous dr, and accommodation paperwork i had to submit to my college. i don't have any accommodations at work, and dont even quite know how to go
    via g3shy
  • 09
    about it. EDIT 2: for those concerned, i don't drive. i take public transit. i stopped driving a few months ago because i realized it wasn't safe for me to be doing so, due to the decline in my physical health.
    via g3shy
  • 10
    and if u guys are shook by this story, someday i'll tell the story of when i got fired because i was seriously sick (had mono), and my job (again, another corporation) said they "don't accept doctors notes" for absences, after telling me point blank i needed drs notes for missing work.
    via g3shy
  • 11
    Mean-Eggplant1008. 20 hr. ago "I am sick and will not be coming in. Coverage? You're the manager, you get paid more than I do, you figure it out. Not my job."
    via g3shy
  • 12
    If I'm sick enough to be calling in, I'm not going in, end of story. Fire me if you want, too sick to care anyway, and you just proved I was gonna have to quit sooner or later because you and your job Better sooner.
    via g3shy
  • 13
    g3shy OP 19 hr. ago this job is incredibly temporary for me. i started in july, and am leaving CA in feb when i graduate college, but that
    via g3shy
  • 14
    being said if i lost this job id be .it took me 6 months to get hired (i have a really good resume, but even with emailing/calling/appl ying to 20+ places a week, not a single person even replied to me until this job)
    via g3shy
  • 15
    xdaemonisx 21 hr. ago . edited 21 hr. ago The next time they ask you to cover your own shift, tell them that fixing scheduling issues aren't part of your job description.
    via g3shy
  • 16
    They can say no to you calling out, but they can't force you to come in. You can be fired for not going in, though, and it would be legal.
    via g3shy
  • 17
    Legion1117.20 hr. ago "Making sure the store has coverage when I am unable to work is not my job responsibilities as I am not a manager. I am not physically capable of working today and will not be doing so."
    via g3shy
  • 18
    That's your response. This continues to happen because we allow it to happen. If more of us would tell these "managers" to ◉, this would not be happening as often as it does.
    via g3shy

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