Employee comes down with the flu and requests to leave their shift early, manager approves but coworker refuses to let them go: ‘"I'm not missing out on my break!"’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Feb 4, 2026 6:00 PM EST

There comes a time in every working person's life when you must choose between a paycheck and your own health.

Hustle culture has conditioned us all to believe that we should go to work when we're dealing with a 102-degree fever, a pulsating migraine, and a serious case of the sniffles. It's challenging to balance your health and your career when one so clearly relies on the other. If you're one of the lucky workforce soldiers who have understanding managers, you likely don't have to second-guess staying home when you're coming down with a cough. Odds are, none of your colleagues want your germs, so why would it be a big deal to stay home and get better? The sooner you rest up, the sooner you're back on the work wagon.

That should be common sense, but if the wheel keeps turning, the money must keep churning. The working world doesn't wait for most employees who want to take advantage of their sick days, because 10 people are waiting to take their place if they're canned. When did prioritizing one's health become so controversial?

Luckily, the manager in this next story is one of the few workplace leaders who care about their employees' well-being. Sick employees won't ever contribute the same output that they would if they were in tip-top shape, so the push to work while ill doesn't make sense. We can thank our generation forefathers for championing the hustle culture we see today, which directly affects every one of us who wants to be treated like a human, not a number in the machine. The employee in the story you'll read below explains that they started feeling exceptionally ill before their shift, but thought it would blow over. Once they were at work, they could barely stand. So, naturally, they reach out to their manager to leave. The manager gives them their blessing, but their elderly coworker refuses to let them go. Who made them the boss? Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • portrait of a woman lying on a sofa at home feeling sick
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • "Coworker refuses to let me leave work when I have the flu"

    Thought I would share my own story as I've been lurking here for a bit. So a few years back I used to work in retail casually at a small stationary store.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • Usually on shift there would be at least two people to serve customers, but the store is manageable with one as it is so tiny as it literally the shape of a square.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • So on this particular day, I went over to a friends house before my shift and noticed that I was starting to feel unwell.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • I had a sore throat and could barely talk which in hindsight is always a red flag for being sick.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • But I didn't think much of it since I wasn't super unwell, and promptly left in order to make it to work.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • After getting to work I was feeling SUPER sick to the point where I could barely physically stand let alone work.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • I remember staying on the floor for a bit after restocking something and feeling awful. So obviously I texted my manager about it and they OK'd me to take sick leave.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • Now this day I had a coworker who came over from another store to help cover the shift.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • This coworker was an older lady who REFUSED to let me go home despite feeling so unwell and they said to me "I'm not missing out on my break!" Mind you, they could have just closed the store and leave a note saying they'd be back soon to go on a break while they're alone.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • But no, and they didn't leave for their break straight away either, they took their SWEET ASS TIME before finally deciding to go for an hour (probably to smoke lets be honest) and I suffered on shift for the next hour or so.
    via boku_no_himitsu
  • round analog clock hanging up on a wall
    via Ocean Ng for Unsplash

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

  • WinkSprinkles You should've just dipped she can deal with being short staffed for a bit
    via WinkSprinkles
  • Ok_Aioli3897 If it's manageable with one why was someone brought in?
    via Ok_Aioli3897
  • river_song25 you should have told her to fuck off, pack up your and just leave. you are sick and depending on what you had probably highly contagious and was spreading your illness around her and any customers. I say fuck her and her break and leave period whether she 'agrees' or not. your not obligated to stay longer and make yourself sicker and more miserable while sick so she can goof off for her break. especially when she bother to leave for said break until later. if she doesn't go on her S
    via river_song25
  • onmy40 You let that old lady lady punk you smh. I would have been punching out as soon as we made eye contact, and I would have left them to argue with themselves
    via onmy40
  • Avehdreader Your coworker does not have authority over you - what your manager says goes. If a coworker tries to tell you otherwise tell them to take it up with your boss as you are walking out the door.
    via Avehdreader

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terrible coworkers coworker stories manager flu sick flu season
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