Employee refuses boss’ demands to commute during active tornado or be fired: ‘So yeah I’m looking for another job’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Mar 17, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Everyone's had that one unreasonable boss—the kind who thinks work is life, bad weather is just a mood, and personal safety is an optional luxury. But few things scream toxic workplace louder than being told to come in during a life-threatening tornado because, apparently, your job is more important than not being blown away by 150 mph winds.  

Imagine sitting in your basement, surrounded by hail and chaos while an actual tornado prowls outside, only to receive a text from your boss saying it's time to suit up and clock in. No, it doesn't matter that your house could fly off like Dorothy's; the shift still needs coverage. Forget emergency preparedness—you've got responsibilities.  

Of course, this situation wouldn't be complete without boss sending a guilt-filled paragraph about commitment and letting the team down, as though dodging airborne debris weren't already enough on your plate. Maybe boss just really worries about you and wants to see you're ok with his own eyes, but treating a natural disaster like a scheduling conflict is next-level delusional. A real eye-of-the-storm opening behavior here, so, better sooner than later, I guess.

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  • Thankfully, tornadoes have a pretty clear job description: rip things apart, toss them in the air, and generally heed no one’s schedule. Bosses with delusions of grandeur, however, seem to think they’re above such simple rules of nature. Apparently, a swirling vortex of doom can take a backseat to the workplace’s sacred priority—making sure someone’s shift gets covered.

  • "Boss threatened to fire me if I didn’t come in during life threatening weather"

    "I told him: "Hey, No I'm literally in the basement there is a tornado on the ground."
    via Nikolas Noonan
  • Context I work at a place with very high turnover. I actually enjoy the job itself even some taxing responsibilities that comes with it but because there has
    via mitzislippers
  • been multiple ppl quitting or getting fired I am basically now the only one that can cover most shifts. The one night I could not come in due to an active tornado on the ground in my area my boss texted me to still come in. I
    via mitzislippers
  • told him "Hey no I'm literally in the basement it is hailing abd there is a tornado on the ground." Boss sent a paragraph telling me to come in anyways.
    via mitzislippers
  • Van
    via rocinante_11

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

  • I still texted my other supervisor (that was already there) and she was much more understanding and was even annoyed at the boss for not having any empathy.
    via mitzislippers
  • I think because I didn't come in on my scheduled day off last week to cover for them was why boss man acted like this??? So yeah I'm looking for another job. S ks tho.
    via mitzislippers
  • Successful_Position2 Yeah and when you find another job dont give amy warning like your last go up to him and be like found a new job my last day is now.
    via Successful_Position2
  • ZookeepergameLoose79 my current boss wanted all 13 of us to come in, as helene was hitting us......... needless to say, not a single one of us listened.
    via ZookeepergameLoose79
  • AdAccomplished6870 The best response is 'I am a good worker and good for the company. I am not coming in because it is not safe, and nothing will change that. It is your decision as to whether or not I am coming in tomorrow or next week.'
    via AdAccomplished6870
  • mitzislippers OP UPDATE: Gave them my notice effective immediately thanks everyone
    via mitzislippers
  • Once you take away the power of the threat of firing, they have nothing to gain by firing you. They won't get the behavior they want, and they will lose a good worker. They may still fire you anyways, because they might not be able to stand someone not obeying them.
    via AdAccomplished6870
  • Cheezburger Image 10480926208
    via chanphoto
  • Do not put your life in danger for a job. Full Stop.
    via AdAccomplished6870
  • gbot1234 Boss: "your money or your life..."
    via gbot1234
  • JayNoi91 I came to work in the middle of an actual hurricane because none of the million supervisors I had when I worked retail reached out to say the store was closed. Sat in my car in the parking lot for a good 30 minutes just hoping I didnt get fired if I left and then people started
    via JayNoi91
  • showing up. Nobody answered their phones or texts so I just left. Finally put in my notice to quit effective immediately, if they dont care about me why should I care about them.
    via JayNoi91
  • Balances Hanging Boss is a can f He right off. Ask him if he had a home invasion if he would still come in to work or not. See how that goes.
    via BalancesHanging
  • notyeezy1 I got stuck in snow leaving my driveway and I sent my boss a video of my car getting stuck and he insisted I shovel the road a bit to get a "rolling start" and plow thru the snow to get to work (I did have winter tires and he knew I had just recently got them)
    via notyeezy1
  • Then he dropped the line "I made it to the workshop why can't you?"
    via notyeezy1
  • I said "perfect, so if you want me to come in, come pick me up"
    via notyeezy1
  • 2 mins later the work group chat got the "works off weathers bad" message lol
    via notyeezy1
  • draconiclady0610 Yeah, call their boss, that's an HR/PR nightmare waiting to happen.
    via draconiclady0610
  • Vegetable-Fix-4702 He actually ordered you to di in a storm for him. Nope. Those kind of people are a waste of oxygen.
    via Vegetable-Fix-4702
  • dabrumz94 Should have asked them to come pick you up. See if they'd put themselves in the same situation they're asking you to be in
    via dabrumz94
  • Isamu29 I had a boss like that. I think all bosses that are retail are like this. They hire them because most of them are narcissists and or psychopaths.
    via Isamu29

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Tags

management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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