Employee refuses to cover coworker's shift after discovering she lied about being sick to get out of work, manager takes coworker's side: ‘They are now mad at me’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Mar 24, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

You don't have to be friends with your coworkers in order to want to help them out when they need it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a team player, even if it means making changes that you're not always happy about. If it helps create a pleasant work environment with people you often spend more time with than your actual family, it should definitely come into consideration.

That said, some coworkers are still coworkers and not friends, and they can sometimes pull some entitled coworker stunts you will not see coming, and those tend to sting. If they get the chance, they might throw you under the bus for their mistakes, and leave you behind to fend for yourself. They will ask for favors without ever intending to pay them back, and they will always put themselves first.

When dealing with people like that, do you still try and create a pleasant workplace environment? Is it still worth it?

Well, for the employee in the story below, it seems like the answer is a firm 'no'.

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  • When their coworker asked to swap shifts because she was too sick to work, the employee who wrote this story decided to help her out. They agreed they would each cover the other's shift, allowing the sick coworker to get better by the time the later shifts arrived.

    Only, the helpful employee soon discovered that their sick coworker was not sick at all, so when she tried to back out of the shift she promised to cover, it did not go well…

    Keep scrolling to read what happened next.

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10484445952
    via Syda Productions

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

  • 02

    "AITAH for not showing up for a shift I was scheduled"

    My coworker, who is "sick" every other week and needs her shifts covered or switched around often, texted the work chat the other day that she was sick (yet again) and asked
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 03
    to switch. She also complains about not getting enough hours even though she calls out. I prefer to have a set schedule every week but I decided to switch with her
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 04
    this time. She said hopefully she would feel better Saturday (today). I worked her shift two days ago. Yesterday I go into work
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 05
    and was surprised to see she had worked her morning shift. After work she came up to the bar, got herself a shift drink and sat down to eat her meal/drink a beer. She
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 06
    looked/sounded fine. Afterward she asked to take a shot with our other coworker who was off as well. They discussed hanging out and if they should buy beer or not.
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 07
    Today, just a few hours before the shift I was scheduled for but had given to her, she texts the work chat saying she is still sick and I needed to work my shift as originally
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 08
    scheduled. I got extremely annoyed because I made other plans today. I told her in the work chat, that no I was not going to work today because I assumed she was
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 09
    feeling better because the day before she was taking shots/drinking and had been working. She asked if anyone else wanted to work, and no one
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 10
    responded. She then messaged the manager to tell them she wasn't working my shift and that I had to. The manager is now mad at me
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 11
    because I refused to come in after my coworkers behavior and making other plans. AITAH for not showing up to my shift?
    via ComparisonOk20
  • 12
    en Mo-Fr schicht Montag 02.07 hr-16.30 Uhr Pola Mandy er ab ca. 13 Uhr Flora Katerina (Abruf) pätschicht Lena Saskia 00 Uhr - Schluss Spätschicht Roman Pola .30 Uhr - Schluss Schichten Mo - Fr Montag tag 09.07. 10.07. och 11.07. Dom 12.6 Frühschicht Kirsten Kirsten Kirsten 10.00 Uhr - 16.30 Uhr Kirsten Springer ab ca. 13 Uhr Pola Katerina Pola (Abruf) Spätschicht 6.00 Uhr - Schluss chicht Marie Saskia Anna Saskia Ulli Roman luss Dienstag 17.07. Mittwoch 18.07. Kirsten la
    via cirquedesprit

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

  • 13
    Jonniboye I'm not sure how it is at your company but everywhere I've worked if you ever switch shifts with someone their shift becomes yours and yours becomes theirs. So if they
    via Jonniboye
  • 14
    don't show up it's on them even if it was originally your shift. If this is the case then NTA, and maybe never trade with her again to protect yourself.
    via Jonniboye
  • 15
    FragrantOpportunity3 NTA. Don't trade shifts with her again. Also I would discuss with your manager. If they aren't bothered with her unreliability. the manager needs to deal with all her absences.
    via FragrantOpportunity3
  • 16
    teresajs When you traded shifts, today's shift became your coworker's shift, not yours. If you get in trouble for not working it, refuse to trade shifts with this coworker ever again.
    via teresajs
  • 17
    lilymystique31 I guess her 'sick days' come with a side of shots and beer? That's one way to recover! You should start charging her for the emotional rollercoaster she's putting you through. Not showing up? Totally justified
    via lilymystique31
  • 18
    LiquidSnakeLi I don't know how much documentation is necessary for your workplace when you switch shifts, but at least for me, if anybody asked me to switch shifts, I email the person
    via LiquidSnakeLi
  • 19
    plus the managers to say this is the date and person I'm switching with, so that if the person didn't show up, they can't pin it on me to come in.
    via LiquidSnakeLi
  • 20
    wlfwrtr In the future only switch shifts with managers prior okay to change schedule.
    via wlfwrtr
  • 21
    CandylandCanada If you have a text where she initiated the request to switch which you granted, then show it to the manager.
    via CandylandCanada
  • 22
    If you assumed without confirming that she would work because of her behaviour yesterday then the fault lies with you.
    via CandylandCanada
  • 23
    jujukitty No you're not but it's probably going to fall on you since it was originally your hours.
    via jujukitty

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boss shift aita workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace coworkers reddit story ceo workplace work shifts Reddit company coworker
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