Boss insists employees wear full uniform in 100-degree heat, security guard collapses and workplace gets robbed: 'My work gave me a bonus'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Mar 22, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Work clothes are never enjoyable. Unless you're a WFH employee who gets to rock sweats all day with the occasional professional shirt when you hop on a Zoom call, it's like you own this whole other separate wardrobe of clothing you don't even really like but are forced to wear five days a week. However, sometimes uniforms actually are the way to go. In high school, I switched from public school to private school, and going from laying out the perfect outfit every night to throwing on a uniform five minutes before heading to the bus felt like a godsend.

But what's not cool about uniforms is when they don't adapt to the weather. My high school uniform required wearing a skirt in the middle of a Midwest winter. Who thought that was a good idea? But in this guy's case, things were way worse. His job required him to wear a full, heavy-duty security guard uniform during a record-breaking heatwave, and his boss wouldn't budge. Keep reading to find out how this story ended in a hospital visit and a workplace robbery.

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  • Cheezburger Image 10483502848
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • "The work uniform is mandatory no matter what. Fine."

    This happened a few years ago, I no longer work with this company because this MC isn't the first time where I thought my personal health and safety was taking the backseat to the requirements of the company.
    via DrD3adpool
  • I worked for a security company, my assignment was the vehicle depot lot for the gas company. My duties were to sit in an aluminum trailer shack in the corner of the lot and monitor for suspicious activity. In Philadelphia,
    via DrD3adpool
  • many of these areas were targeted by catalytic converter thieves. I was also supposed to make a patrol every hour to ensure the security of the site. Other than my patrols and to use the bathroom, I was not permitted to leave the box for any reason. My
    via DrD3adpool
  • uniform was my usual long sleeve button up shirt and long pants, but also I was required to wear a boiler suit and hardhat for safety from things I might encounter on my patrols. Originally, I only wore the boiler suit and hardhat to
    via DrD3adpool
  • do my patrols because it was July and the air conditioner in the box didn't work. However, my site supervisor came for inspection and threatened to fire me if I wouldn't wear the boiler suit and hardhat while sitting in the box as well.
    via DrD3adpool
  • So I did. The end of July/beginning of August 2022 was one of the worst heat waves in Philadelphia history. On a good day, it was 140°+ in the box as it was made of aluminum and sitting in direct sunlight for the duration of my shift.
    via DrD3adpool
  • Three days in and I passed out standing in the men's room from advanced heat stroke. The gas company staff called an ambulance for me. I was airlifted to the hospital (traffic in this part of the city was notoriously terrible late afternoon/early evening
    via DrD3adpool
  • NG SACKING
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • and every second counted.) At the hospital, my body temperature was 105.6 and my pulse was a blistering 147. It took doctors TWO DAYS to get my temperature back to normal and address all of the damage the excessive.
    via DrD3adpool
  • heat had done to my body. While I was getting lifesaving care at the hospital my "abandoned. post" was infiltrated by three men who stole the catalytic converters from 18 vehicles. The parent
    via DrD3adpool
  • company was LIVID and when I was inquired as to why I wasn't at my post when the theft occurred, my doctor at the hospital took the phone and informed them of my condition upon arrival at the hospital.
    via DrD3adpool
  • In the aftermath, I was reassigned. The broken air conditioner in the box was replaced by a 40,000 BTU unit that required a separate generator to power. A few weeks later, my security company lost. its contract with the gas company after my
    via DrD3adpool
  • replacement fell asleep in the box while the thieves returned to steal another 20 catalytic converters.
    via DrD3adpool
  • Alternative-Golf8281 Have you sued for a workman's comp case for any residual damages to your physical health? I feel like that would get closer to malicious that some of the commenters are thirsting for
    via Alternative-Golf8281
  • DrD3adpool Actually my work gave me an almost $4000 bonus not to sue after finding out how close I was to dying.
    via DrD3adpool

    We all know he should've gotten waaaaay more than that….. Let's just hope they paid for his hospital bills too. 

  • sylvar Jesus Christ, I'm happy you survived that!
    via sylvar
  • Xanderak Cat thieves have another aluminum box across the street, where they watch for lapses in security.
    via Xanderak
  • Colanasou Allied? Most security gigs. are sh but allied tend to be the worst. So happy i left that industry
    via Colanasou
  • spiderdue I read all the way to "the air conditioner didn't work..." and my mind heard a record scratch. I'll continue reading.
    via spiderdue
  • 530_Oldschoolgeek I would have had OSHA and an employment attorney on the phone while I was in the hospital. I sincerely hope this disgrace of a firm didn't try to object to the workers comp I hope you filed for the ambulance/hospitalization.
    via 530_Oldschoolgeek
  • Emphatically Wrong I would have two fans and an ice pack around my neck if I was working somewhere that hot. The hat indoors is a stupid request by the boss
    via EmphaticallyWrong
  • southsoundsailor Jeezus! I hope this was a workers comp claim - airlift alone could bankrupt the company.
    via southsoundsailor

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security employee manager job malicious compliance guard jobsite petty revenge entitled people karma workplace Horrible Bosses theft entitled people
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