'Go in sick and call in an anonymous health department complaint': Fast food boss says he will fire dishwasher if he calls in sick on more time despite employee only calling in 2 times

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 27, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

If you're a certain kind of person, nothing is more stressful than calling out of work. Odds are you already feel bad physically, that's why you're calling out. Then comes the added stress of having to tell your boss that you won't make it in. Hopefully, they're understanding, but it might put them in a bad spot. If they're a bad boss, they might make you feel like it's your fault that you caught a cold, when in reality, it literally happens to everyone. Unless you're some sort of freak. 

Still, though, some businesses are run on such a skeleton crew that one call out will send the whole schedule askew. This isn't anyone's fault but the manager. If you're a manager, you have to know that people are going to get sick sometimes. It's your job to handle that. This doesn't always happen, though, and some bosses ask their employees to come in to work while they're ill. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10485932544
    via Mohamed Shaffaf

  • Despite this being a horrible idea (risking spreading illness to coworkers thus setting off a chain of call-outs), even more so if you work in food service, some bosses can't see past the bottom line. They don't have people to cover your shift, thus it's on you. That's what happened to this employee who took to Reddit to vent. Read on for the details.

  • 02

    My boss is saying he'll fire me if I ever call in sick again.

    I work at a big fast food chain as the dishwasher. Last weekend on Saturday I had to go home early because I was coughing like crazy and could feel a terrible cold coming (plus I didn't want to contaminate all the containers I cleaned).
    via u/BrainsDumbQuestions
  • 03
    The Sunday morning I let them know early I couldn't make it as I could hardly speak anymore and was just constantly coughing.
    via u/BrainsDumbQuestions
  • 04
    Finally today I get back to work and I already knew my boss was going to be a to me. He corners me in front of all of my coworkers and says. "You can never do that. You really just f me over whenever you call in sick." And I try to start speaking to say I was thinking about the food being contaminated but he straight
    via u/BrainsDumbQuestions
  • 05
    up just tells me "No no no, don't speak. You've already called in sick before. (This was a few months ago) You can never do that again, understand me?" I just sort of stare at him blankly and he gets a little ped off and just goes "Got it?" and put his hand up for a high five lol. I just went along and raised my hand but didn't move it towards him and just let him high five me.
    via u/BrainsDumbQuestions
  • 06
    Am I crazy or is this guy a complete ?? What the h_I does he think getting a bunch of people sick is going to do. Arent there health code issues with me working as a dishwasher when everything I touch gets contaminated? And just for a little more context, the reason I was sick is because he forced other coworkers to come in while sick and I got coughed on many times. Sorry for the rant.
    via u/BrainsDumbQuestions
  • 07

    Other workers chimed in and took the employee's side.

    UWMN 4d ago Edited 4d ago "Okay. I won't call in sick next time. I'll come in, get everyone else sick and contaminate the sh out of this place. Would that be better?" In all seriousness, I'd find a new job. That guy sounds like a real
    via u/UWMN
  • 08
    ShivanDrgn 4d ago Go in sick and call in an anonymous health department complaint that day.
    via u/ShivanDrgn
  • 09
    Thaldrath . 4d ago It's absolutely inhumane, but that's the United States for you. You could di on the job and it would still them off because you had the audacity to di on their watch.
    via u/Thaldrath
  • 10
    lowprofitmargin • 4d ago When your manager said... You can never do that again You should have replied saying... OTHERWISE WHAT
    via u/lowprofitmargin
  • 11
    HewhomustnotBnamed Call sick tomorrow
    via u/HewhomustnotBnamed
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10485932800
    via Brittany Colette
  • 13
    Mrmathmonkey . 4d ago Get another job. Life is too short to put up with jerks like that.
    via u/Mrmathmonkey
  • 14
    sveeger 4d ago What a moron. Anyone that's worked in food service knows your restaurant only turns tables as fast as the dishwasher. You take care of them.
    via u/sveeger
  • 15
    Cyanide_Cheesecake 4d ago Make it publicly known that the locale forces sick people into work. See what that does for business
    via u/Cyanide_Cheesecake
  • 16
    • CaptinACAB 4d ago You could get the same job anywhere else in 10 minutes. Why are you putting up with that f____?
    via u/CaptinACAB
  • 17
    Alecarte 4d ago "Would your auditors and health and safety inspectirs side with you on the matter if I shoukd call them and ask their opinion? What about the Board of Labour?"
    via u/Alecarte
  • 18
    Supper_Champion • 4d ago Honestly, I would have walked out right then and there. Without a word, just grab my coat and walk away and never come back, never return a call, text or email. If you're working at fast food, you can get another fast food job.
    via u/Supper_Champion
  • 19
    amaraame • 4d ago Call the health dept next time some is sick at work
    via u/amaraame
  • 20
    InvisiblePinkUnicorn • 4d ago Just don't call next time your sick, it's what he asked
    via u/InvisiblePinkUnic0rn
  • 21
    CoderJoe1 4d ago Poor management not having extra staff on-hand to cover for sick calls.
    via u/CoderJoe1
  • 22
    Mysterious-Light4809 4d ago He can't force you to come in sick. If he fires you for it, you can go to the Labor Board. Also, you can get a dishwasher job anywhere.
    via u/Mysterious-Light4809
  • 23
    redheadtaurus . 4d ago Go in when you sick enough to puke and once you're there do it on and in the dishwasher and on the floor in front of the office if you can. Then when they chase you out apologize to the customers and tell them that your boss said you could never call out sick.
    via u/redheadtaurus
  • 24
    R 4d ago One of the funniest radio skits I've ever heard was called "Calling in sick to places I don't work." It was hillarious and it sounds like your boss might need some of that treatment.
    via u/R****_L******
  • 25
    Crop Circle77 4d ago Aren't these jobs like a dime a dozen?
    via u/CropCircle77
  • 26
    MurkDiesel • 3d ago "You really just f me over whenever you call in sick." no, you f ed yourself trying to run a business on a skeleton crew if your boss cannot plan for human variables, then he should not be a boss
    via u/MurkDiesel
  • 27
    MacduffFifesNo1Thane • 4d ago That's a call to the State Health Department. Food illnesses. aren't things they let slip by unattended, even during this darkest timeline.
    via u/MacduffFifesNo1Thane
  • 28
    poignantname 3d ago I did a short stint in maccas back in the day and had to call in sick on my last day. Not because it was my last day but because I was actually sick. Similar situation to you. Streaming cold, hacking cough, the works. I was struggling to talk to my boss on the phone because I was so bad.
    via u/poignantname
  • 29
    She told me to s k it up and get in because it was my last day, and I wasn't going to get out of it that easy When I said, "Do you not hear me coughing?" she said she was sick with the flu and still managed to get to work on time.
    via u/poignantname
  • 30
    "Guess I'll call health and safety and corporate and let them know about that then." "Whatever. Stay home. You're useless anyway." I hated that job, and I hated that manager.
    via u/poignantname

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss food service workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit fast food toxic-work-environment
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