Manager covers employee's work and sends care packages to their home when they suddenly take an extended leave of absence, surprising the other team members: 'You're one of us. We take care of each other here.'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 14, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

For all the stories you read online about workplace situations, only a handful that you come across are overwhelmingly positive and heartwarming. It's a good reminder that there are those leaders out there who genuinely want to foster a supportive environment to promote growth and thrive towards mutual success.

This manager is one of those managers.

I stumbled across this thread in a small online community where a third party, another employee who worked in the office, shared their shocked reaction upon discovering what their manager had done for their coworker. Without making a show of it, their manager had been quietly covering things and sending care packages to their coworker's home when their coworker suddenly took an extended leave of absence for personal reasons.

This stands apart from tired stories emerging from confused and twisted employer-employee obligations, where the lowest-level staff band together to donate their PTO to a sick coworker, when the cynical truth is that the company could have just granted that coworker more leave as a sign of goodwill without incurring much cost. It is a short but truly heartwarming account that reminds us of the value of the social contract. 

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  • 01

    "Our Manager Quietly Did the Nicest Thing..."

    So last month, one of our teammates had to take sudden time off. Family emergency. No one really knew the full story, but it was clear they were going through a lot. What we didn't know until this week was that our manager had been secretly covering their workload and sending food deliveries to their house every few days. Never mentioned it. Didn't make it about herself. Just did it.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 02
    WORLD'S BEST BOSS
    via Kelly Sikkema

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    Teammate came back yesterday and gave her the biggest hug I've ever seen in an office. There were actual tears. Manager just shrugged and said, You're one of us. We take care of each other here. It hit me hard because most of us have worked in places where managers barely learn your name, let alone check in on your life. I'll never take this team for granted again. Sometimes leadership isn't loud, it's just kind.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 04
    wazzufans This manager is a loving a caring person. You are lucky to work for them!
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 05
    bhechinger Never ever ever ever ever ever quit this job. You will never find this again. Ever.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 06
    felleh I would quite literally follow a manager like this into a burning building.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 07
    izitcurious What a beautiful example of kindness and empathy. If I were you, I'd be sure to always stay at that place as long as your manager is there with you.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 08
    spaetzlechick One of my colleagues had a serious acute illness years ago when his kids were small. An executive 4-5 levels above us came to his house with his wife after the colleague was discharged (and still going to be recovering for several weeks). They brought trays of food for the family, snacks, paper goods, magazines and puzzle books for the whole family. And checked in on him regularly through his recovery.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 09
    I always said I would follow that exec into battle. After he moved on to another company I would have moved my whole family in an instant to work for him again.
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 10
    rahah2023 Your manager is building a supportive culture. People will stay at companies with good caring culture- this is how it's done
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 11
    Dry-Pop-8109 The most gracious and compassionate of us do it quietly and with no need for praise or recognition. Wonderful and selfless!
    via IsabelleSeducesYou
  • 12
    Gullible_Act_681 That is so great! I just got a job offer for more pay (that I really need) but decided to stay put bc my team and management are this way. People don't leave companies typically, they leave managers. Mine is on par with yours
    via IsabelleSeducesYou

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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employee employment-discussion job heartwarming goodwill work leadership employees good boss overworked-employees workplace employment in the workplace
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