'I'm out': Employee resigns after boss denies sick leave request

A viral social media post has ignited a firestorm of debate about workplace culture and employee rights after an employee quit their job in response to a denied sick leave request.

In a recent incident, an employee narrated an experience where their boss requested a doctor's note and refused to grant sick leave without it. The employee had informed the boss about waking up with cold sweats and requested a day off.

"I hate to do this, but I woke up with cold sweats," the employee messaged the boss on WhatsApp, explaining the fever and overall discomfort.

The boss responded, instructing the employee to provide a doctor's note for an excused absence, stating, "Please get a doctor's note for an excused absence."

The reaction prompted the employee to advise the reporting manager that the individual had not seen a doctor in three years and was not financially able to do so at the time.

"I haven’t been to a doctor in three years. I don’t have the money to go to a doctor for a fever. Yesterday, I made the equivalent of $8 an hour. Is the doctor’s visit covered by the company?" the employee wrote.

The boss persisted, questioning if the employee, who mentioned having a fever, could still manage to work. Frustrated by this response, the employee decided to resign on the spot.

The Reddit post gained widespread attention, with numerous users expressing disapproval of the boss's stance on the employee's sick leave request.

One user criticised the situation, stating, "Crazy, I am in charge of some people. They tend to come in while sick anyways (workaholics), I’ve told them the last thing you are doing while sick is coming in and getting everyone else sick. For my own selfish reasons I don’t allow people to come in sick, yet this OPs boss is trying to force them unless they have a note."

Another user emphasized the importance of staying home when sick, saying, "If you have a fever you're almost certainly contagious and you need to stay home until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone when not medicated. This was the instruction I explicitly gave my employees when I was a people manager. Companies that make people work sick should be taxed to pay for the public health systems we need to fix the problems they cause."

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