Boss Tells Worker He Should Have Known He Would Call Out Sick '24 Hours In Advance' So He Wouldn't Cause An 'Inconvenience'

In another installment of irrational employers having equally irrational demands one man, named Gary, was hit with an illogical response when he called out sick at work.

In corporate America where work is valued over all other aspects of life, employees can expect to be going into the office five days a week, generally eight hours a day. However, unpredictable circumstances, like getting sick, are bound to arise, forcing people to call out of work. 

Some employers are understanding and recognize that falling sick is out of people’s control. However, others get aggravated, believing that their employees have a responsibility, so much so that they should have known that they were going to be sick and called in ahead of time. 

One man revealed a text message exchange between himself and his boss after informing him that he was sick and would be unable to come into the office that day, and it shines a light as to why so many people are hesitant to work nowadays. 

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The boss told the worker that he should have known he would call out sick 24 hours in advance so that he wouldn’t cause an ‘inconvenience.’ 

The employee’s story was shared by TikTok user @richtherecruiter, an HR expert on the platform. In the video, Rich shares screenshots of the messages between Gary and his boss after he called in sick. The boss is clearly unhappy about the situation and insists that he should have been made aware of it earlier. 

Listen, we feel his pain, it can be challenging to cover employees' work at the drop of a hat but it is just a reality of life in the working world.

“You should’ve informed [me] earlier about your sick leave (24 hours before). Remember SOP training?” the message reads. SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is a document containing step-by-step instructions on how to perform processes within an organization. “To be fair, any cause of operation will be borne by you, okay? As written on the SOP,” his boss continues. 

“In the future, please keep in mind, you are required to inform CT at least 24 hours before sick leave to avoid any inconvenience.”

The policy does not make any sense to Gary, who had no way of knowing that he would fall ill. “This doesn’t make any sense, how would I know I’m getting sick 24 hours before I get sick?” he writes back. His situation raises the question of why sick days at work exist if they cannot be utilized for what they are intended for. 

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Sick days and policies vary depending on states and companies. 

Employers with 100 employees or more must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. If employees are aware that they are going to have to use their sick days, for example, if they have an upcoming doctor’s appointment or procedure, they are encouraged to inform their employers at least a week in advance.

However, there is generally no time frame to let them know when an employee suddenly gets sick. Ideally, they should alert them as soon as possible, even if it is less than 24 hours in advance. It is better to give them a heads-up rather than not showing up without a word so they can better prepare.

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Rich The Recruiter says it is on an employer to prepare for the possibility that their employees may call out sick. 

After declaring that Gary makes a valid point, he points out the issues with sick leave companies provide for their employees. He believes that companies should be well-equipped in the event of people calling out sick.

“Good companies plan for people not to be in. You can pretty much bank on it that 10% to 20% of your workforce is gonna call out sick,” he says. 

He also states that nowadays, employees value flexibility in their schedules more so than pay. “People get sick. You can’t expect someone 24 hours before they wake up in the morning and they’re sick that they’re gonna let you know the night before. That’s just unrealistic,” he says. “If you just plan for it operationally speaking, then you avoid situations like this… and you will retain more employees.” 

Fair sick leave policies and well-equipped companies not only allow the employees to make an effective recovery and return to work refreshed, but they also do not leave employers stranded and scrambling for coverage. 

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Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.