Photo: Sora Shimazaki / Pexels
He complained about covering her shift
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Dec 09, 2022
Dealing with a toxic supervisor or manager at work can be traumatizing. You may want to do something about it, but the fear of retaliation make reporting it a terrifying thought.
With so many people forced to work with bosses who are controlling, bullying, micromanagers and a threat to their psychological wellness, there are several red flags to look for when considering an employer.
A woman recently took to the subreddit, r/workplace_bullying, to report the disturbing steps her “boss” took when she called in sick from work.
Her boss showed up at her home to 'prove' she was sick.
She starts by telling readers that her boss “gets extremely passive-aggressive whenever I take a sick day.”
She explains that she only takes a sick day every six months so she's definitely a dependable employee.
The woman works in healthcare — a field that has strict policies on showing up to work while sick since there is a risk of spreading an infection to vulnerable patients.
This hasn’t stopped her boss from making questionable comments whenever she lets him know she is unable to work due to illness.
The woman claims he makes statements about her being sick “yet again” and complains that he will need to work late to cover for her. She alleges that he has never shown any concern for her health.
Now the situation has taken a shocking turn and the woman believes the man has truly crossed the line. She is reaching out to Redditers for advice.
The frazzled employee says that she was at home, sick, and was surprised when her boss showed up at her front door unannounced.
Apparently, the man was on his way home from the clinic and decided to stop by to make sure she was actually unwell and not using illness as an excuse to play hooky from work.
She says, “He called into my place unannounced and repeatedly called me when I didn't answer the door.” It seems the man was insistent on seeing her despite her being under the weather.
Now, she believes he stopped by with the sole intention of intimidating her into returning to work earlier than anticipated.
The woman now wants to know if it is her that is being overly sensitive in the situation. She is also asking if her boss’ actions were legal.
The subreddit is still growing, but one person did comment saying, “That's f-cked up. Shouldn't be at your place without a reason.”
They also added some sound advice, “Put in writing via your personal email to your boss that it is unacceptable for them to drop by your house as they did. Describe the day as well. Paper trail.”
The short answer to the woman’s questions is no. She is not being unreasonable, and her boss should not be showing up at her home.
If an employee is out sick, their story should be taken at face value. Most companies have sick leave policies in place that require a doctor’s note to verify illness when necessary.
The only time anyone should show up to an employee’s place of residence is when they have not called or shown up to work and there is a genuine concern for their well-being.
But even in those cases, the employer should call local law enforcement and ask them to do a welfare check on the missing employee to confirm they are okay.
Attendance and sick leave policies are adapted to address situations like this. This boss’ behavior wreaks of harassment, toxicity, a hostile work environment, and disparate treatment.
He has crossed professional boundaries and in addition to reporting him to human resources, she should seek counsel outside of the company and contact the EEOC for support.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment & news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.