Employee is forced to wait hours at emergency room to get a doctor's note for two sick days, doctor comes through by ensuring she gets a two weeks paid sick leave: ‘She went home with a lovely note’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 18, 2025 7:00 AM EST

Adult life is difficult in many ways, much more than we expected when we were kids. There is so much stuff going on that never even occurred to us when we were younger, sometimes it feels impossible to catch up. 

One major thing we never expected we'd have to still deal with as adults, is the need to have someone else's approval on your personal dealings. Sure, as kids, if you wanted to skip school and stay home one day, you'd have to have your parents on board with that. But you never imagine that you'd still need someone's approval to do the same when you're a grown-up. 

The same goes for being sick. When you're a kid, if you don't feel well, you tell your mom, she takes you to the doctor, and with a doctor's approval you get to stay home for a few days until you are feeling better. 

Who knew you would still have to do all of that when you are a working adult? (minus the mom part, at least).

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  • Having to provide your workplace with a doctor's note to approve a sick leave is a ridiculous notion that has many people enraged, including the doctors themselves, who see it as a waste of time and resources for everyone involved.

    At least that is what the doctor in the story down below thinks, and they decided to do something about it, helping out one patient who really needed it.

  • Cheezburger Image 10468947712
    via ijeab-stock

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "Employers - careful what you ask for!"

    I'm an emergency physician - I work in emergency departments in hospitals. An interesting specialty in medicine, different patients every day (except for the
    via Doc_Hank
  • frequent fliers, but that's another story). Now, especially in the winter time, ED's are full of people, with usually long wait times - and we take people in order of
    via Doc_Hank
  • severity, not first come/first served. So, I'm at work, and get a new patient - the chart says 'needs a work note'.
    via Doc_Hank
  • I go into the cubical, and see a patient that is obviously ill. After 40 years of experience, I can size patients up pretty well from acros the room: This woman was ill. Vitals were not good, fever of 102F,
    via Doc_Hank
  • the works. The monitor shows her heart is OK, pulse is a little high, BP is a little low, high fever... Talking to her she tells me she's got a cold.
    via Doc_Hank
  • Now, I tend to appreciate it when patients just tell me the truth. She didn't claim to have C D, pneumonia, anthrax (don't ask), or anything but...a cold. Which, being a virus,
    via Doc_Hank
  • there's not a h I of a lot I can do for her. So I ask why she came in. Turns out she's been ill for two days, her fever is actually
    via Doc_Hank
  • down with her taking Tylenol and drinking fluids (no kidding!), and her employer wants a doctors note for more paid time off. This woman waited in the
    via Doc_Hank
  • emergency department waiting room for (checks the record) five and a half hours, to get a godd med note for work? Not her fault, though. It's her employers.
    via Doc_Hank
  • SH
    via cottonbro studio

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • So, I ask her how much time they will give her paid off. "There's no limit" she said. "I just need a doctor saying I need it". Got it.
    via Doc_Hank
  • So, she went home with a lovely note giving her two weeks off with pay. And instructions to return for additional time if she needs it
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  • to recover. I REALLY hate employers that demand asinine notes like this. Fight the stupidity!
    via Doc_Hank
  • ConfederancyOfDunces Good on you to notice and sympathize with not just the medial issues, but the social issues too. I'm glad you're in the field you're in.
    via ConfederancyOfDunces
  • thatkindofdoctor I'm a physician in Brasil. Due to our labour laws, there's NO absence for work without pay cut if you don't present a doctor's note. Some employers even demand ICD coding, which is unethical and ab_._.ive.
    via thatkindofdoctor
  • I get a perverse pleasure when I can justify giving a longer leave to (honest) patients, together with a copy of the jurisprudence and how to talk firmly to the HR representative that they got no right to demand to know what the patient is on medical leave for.
    via thatkindofdoctor
  • justaman_097 Well played! It's nice to see a doctor who really cares about patients.
    via justaman_097
  • Distinct-Car-9124 Hurray for you! I wish others could see through the – as easily as you did. I'm retired now, but my hospital had signs up that said "If you have the flu, stay home!" But if you stayed out
    via Distinct-Car-9124
  • more than 2 days, you were suspended. OK, now I have 3 more days off (without pay). How is that staffing the hospital? I'm telling you-- morons are running the hospital!
    via Distinct-Car-9124
  • ColorsOfTheCurrents Wish more physicians in my area had even 1/10 the amount of compassion and common sense you have shown.
    via ColorsOfTheCurrents
  • Il-leto Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear scrubs and lab coats.
    via Il-leto

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sick leave emergency employee job sick day malicious compliance emergency room work doctor reddit story employer workplace sick Reddit malicious compliance reddit
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