Healthcare professional faints on the job and gets sent home by boss, only to be scolded for calling out sick the next day: ‘[This] is not an acceptable practice’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Apr 25, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Being an essential worker is not for the weak, especially in healthcare settings. If you're not careful, you're always at risk of contracting the next virus, stomach bug, or infection that can put you out of commission for weeks. Even with all the proper precautions healthcare professionals take every day, they can't win 'em all… getting sick is inevitable.

You'd think that a doctor wouldn't want their sick employee seeing perfectly healthy patients for check-ups, especially when their employee doesn't know the root cause of their illness. For all anyone knows, they might be patient zero for the next viral infection that sneaks up on folks when they least expect it. It's always better to be safe than sorry, and the employee in this next story decides to call out sick after their symptoms intensify following a fainting spell on the clock.

Instead of being understanding, their boss (the head doctor) insinuates that the employee should've come in to work anyway, which is ridiculous coming from someone who is supposed to understand basic healthcare measures. Scroll to read the full story.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement

  • Aside from the fact that the employee was clearly sick with something that did not blow over, they've never called out prior to this moment. So, they have a reason to call out and they've never set a poor example for themselves in terms of attendance and punctuality. I guess the doctor just tries their best to be as entitled as possible… 

  • "If you were having a shot or procedure done, would you want me in the room with you..."
    via Ahmed for Unsplash+

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

  • "My Boss got upset I called off and told me it is ‘not acceptable.’ AITA?"

    I started this job about a month ago now. I work at a doctors office, a small clinic, with a staff of 3. Me, the Medical Receptionist and the Doctor. I am
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • a medical assistant. Yesterday at work, I was helping the doctor with an x ray machine while he was giving a trigger point injection. Suddenly, my world
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • goes dark, I get very sweaty, I hear a loud ringing and he asks me if I'm going to pass out and I mumbled yes before my inevitable outcome.
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • Cheezburger Image 10497667584
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

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

  • Now, he sent me home and was not upset yesterday about it. Today I had to call off because I woke up, and a wave of nausea smacked me in the face, I ended up having a horrible headache, got horrible sleep as I woke up several
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • times in the night super dehydrated and had to chug water, felt a burning in my chest and I got di ea. (TMI, I know). I told him I spent the night throwing up and will not be able to make it to work, and he responded with the following
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • statement; "I hope you feel better. Calling off puts much stress on (insert medical receptionists name) and myself, and can negatively impact patient care and is not an acceptable practice." I asked him if he still wanted me to try to come in anyhow, and he did not respond. Mind you, I have not called off before.
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • Cheezburger Image 10497668864
    via Annie Spratt For Unsplash+

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

  • If you were having a shot or procedure done, would you want me in the room with you touching the bandaids, wheel chairing you
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • around the clinic, and prepping your injection site knowing my symptoms? Am I the ah le?
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • Princess-She-ra He's a doctor? Doesn't he understand that you might be actually sick, never mind possibly contagious? I understand that it's inconvenient to him but the
    via Princess-She-ra
  • only response I would accept is "I'm sorry you're not feeling well." They can ask "is there anything open on your plate that we should take care of" I've actually had bosses who would ask "let me know if I can help with anything".
    via Princess-She-ra
  • Maybe I'm getting too old and grumpy but I would be finding a new job. Edit: I would check with your primary care - there's a few stomach bugs going around including norovirus.
    via Princess-She-ra
  • That-Suggestion-5088 I think I will go to urgent care when my boyfriend gets home from work so he can drive me. Not only because I feel awful, but maybe giving him a note will make him understand that I'm not faking it and that I actually needed to call off.
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • Thank you for the thoughts, I felt really guilty about calling off as I rarely do so in my years of work and have always been told I shouldn't. It's how I was raised; so calling off already made me feel extremely bad. This said, I like to think it is justified that I genuinely actually needed the day off.
    via That-Suggestion-5088
  • H ybiguy57 That fact you passed out in front of him and he wants to question your sickness is quite pathetic on his part
    via H***ybiguy57
  • FlounderAccording125 Maybe he as the boss, should have a backup plan. Imagine that sick people, getting healthy people sick at a doctors office.
    via FlounderAccording125
  • Ecstatic_Pepper_7200 I would screenshot the chats where you tell him you were V ing all night and he is mad that you stayed home... after you find a new job, amd worked 6 months at new job, post those screenshots to his Google Maps review. He wanted a sick person to come into his health office and help with patients. He is endangering his patients.
    via Ecstatic_Pepper_7200
  • Honest Housing_4704 I'd find another job at a clinic that is adequately staffed. His poor management and staffing shortage is not acceptable.
    via Honest_Housing_4704
  • stout_ale Sounds like his unempathrtic nature is the reason he can't keep a receptionist. You are sick, you work in a medical office. Tell him you'll come in if he gives you a free honest exam, and pays for the second opinion. NTA.
    via stout_ale
  • workaholic828 I get it people fake calling out sick so they can watch Seinfeld and go to the mall. That's not what you did, he saw you literally faint! What a j !!! I'm mad for you, especially when he didn't respond to your follow up.
    via workaholic828

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

patient boss aita workplace-stories work stories job terrible-bosses bosses work doctor reddit story toxic-boss workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread bad bosses Reddit
Scroll Down For The Next Article