‘He's calling in sick, he's sick’: Boss insists manager's team member is lying about his illness when he calls out sick, is hilariously proven wrong

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
May 13, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Listen, we're all human. Whether you've come down with a rough case of the sniffles or your noggin isn't feeling too hot, sick days are put in place at our jobs so we can use them at our own discretion. Though many employees in the workforce cash in sick days when they're not ill, it's nobody's business (technically), and even still, that doesn't make up for the large number of employees who call out when they're actually sick or injured. If my forehead is feeling a little warm, I'm not risking getting my coworkers sick with The Germ™. If one employee enters the office with a gnarly cough, three more employees will be calling out sick the next day—and our bosses surely don't want that on their conscience (or performance review). 

In this next story, a team manager at a retail job recounts the day they taught their boss that you don't need to be coughing up a storm to call out sick from work. Not only did the boss get proven wrong, but it starts a chain reaction of ridicule from all of his subordinates. Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • The team manager who posted this story explains that they have full trust in their team members because they've never given them a reason to distrust them. This is exemplary maturity at its finest, but it seems their boss doesn't possess the same trait. Perhaps it's virtuous…

  • Cheezburger Image 10504720384
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

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

  • "Another you don't sound sick to me"

    See a few people calling in sick stories and this reminded me of a malicious compliance from my team. Many years ago now but the gist is there.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • When I was managing a retail team I had a call from one of my team while I was in an early meeting with the company owner. I answered it and put it on speaker (just habit).
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Me: "Hi Danny, what's up?" Danny: "Hey boss. Not feeling well so won't make it in today." Now Danny sounds as chipper as can be. No croakiness or fatigue in his voice.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Me: "No worries. Thanks for the notice. Rest up. If you don't think you'll make it in tomorrow make sure you get a sick note clearing you for work if you can. You're clear on the policy right?"
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Cheezburger Image 10504721152
    via Vitaly Gariev for Unsplash

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

  • Danny: "Will do. Hopefully see you tomorrow. Bye." Hang up phone and go to resume meeting and boss starts grilling me. He didn't sound sick. What's even wrong with him. Your team
    via savagejimmy23b
  • mustn't respect you. Blah blah blah. Now while Danny wasn't our best worker he was up there and the team and customers loved him. And him calling in sick
    via savagejimmy23b
  • was rare. And honestly my feelings were a bit hurt by him telling me they didn't respect me. I wasn't long in that position but I worked my way up there and they all knew that.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Proceed to a debate that my team's stats were brilliant per what we were meeting about, that I disagree about them not respecting me because he didn't feel the need to put on a voice.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • And the reality was what was the matter was irrelevant. He's calling in sick, he's sick. He'd never given me a reason not to trust him. I thought that was the end of it. Not quite.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Next day Danny comes in and the boss immediately calls him and I into his office. He starts giving Danny "the talk". Commitment to the company, sick days are for
    via savagejimmy23b
  • when you're sick and unable to work, and how he didn't sound sick. Danny start grinning and just pulls up his sleeve showing a very recently bandaged arm. "I'm
    via savagejimmy23b
  • not sure how I should sound to convey this over the phone. Should've I coughed? How many stitches does it take to give me a croaky voice?"
    via savagejimmy23b
  • I burst out laughing. Boss to his credit took it in stride (he was usually a pretty good guy). Danny obviously told the team about it
    via savagejimmy23b
  • too. Now whenever any of the team happened to call in sick when they knew I had a meeting with the owner it went like this:
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Becky calls. Coughing and spluttering. "Sorry boss coughs again won't make it in today. Another fit of coughing Child has gastro so need to take the day off to take care of him coughing continues.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Mitch calls. Very croaky voice "Can't make it in. Twisted my ankle and need to stay off it for a few days"
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Belle calls. Coughing, spluttering, fatigued voice. "Not sure I'll make it in today. Car won't start. Can I take TOIL to arrange repairs today?"
    via savagejimmy23b
  • Queue the next staff all hands (usually beers and a bbq in the carpark and talking upcoming changes for the next quarter) where as part of that owner gives out a best acting award and also asked them to cut it out.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • I'm worked there for quite a few years. I knew the owner personally before I started working there. While the owner and I didn't always see eye to eye he was usually a good guy, just had some bad staff and managers in the past and definitely needed more coffee that morning.
    via savagejimmy23b
  • CoderJoe1 What a ride. Story started out like so many others, then ruined my grump face at the end. I need to call in happy.
    via CoderJoe1

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