Things were a lot different before Covid.

I say that because that’s when this Reddit story took place and it’s important to point out because this kind of stuff definitely wouldn’t fly in this day and age.

The person who wrote it ended up maliciously complying with a boss who just wasn’t getting the picture.

“I haven’t had a sick day in 9 years!”

“This was before Covid, FYI.

I used to work in a training center for a Fortune 500 company. When class wasn’t in session, the building normally only had 4 people in it: me (trainee), the boss, and the two trainers.

They were feeling under the weather…but their boss wasn’t having it.

I called in sick two days in a row because I had some nasty lung infection. On the second day, the Boss starts ranting at me about how “kids these days have no discipline” and “I haven’t taken a sick day in 9 years!”

I tried asking if he wanted me to get a doctor’s note, but he was pretty adamant about me coming in the next day. He said that he can decide if I’m actually sick, and he can send me home. I was one of the few women working in that section of the company, less than half everyone’s age, and felt like arguing with him about it was a bad idea.

Whatever you say, boss!

Cue malicious compliance.

That next morning I decide to not pump myself full of cold meds and just go in raw dogging life. As soon as I walk in the door the trainers look at me and I say “I’m very sick, might want to give me a wide berth.” They looked at me wide eyed, nodded, and went to a different section of the building.

The boss was starting to get the picture.

The boss hears me coughing so hard I’m having to do that gasp for air like i just emerged from the depths. He walks in and goes “oh…you really are sick. You should go home. But I don’t understand how you got this sick,” and then reminds me, “I haven’t taken a sick day in 9 years!”

They came back in the next day.

So I drive home and come back in the next day. The trainers look at me and say “what the hell are you doing here?”

Me: “the boss said that if I’m actually sick, he can send me home.”

They laughed and avoided my section of the building.

Now the boss finally got the WHOLE picture.

The Boss once again hears me coughing and gasping for air and comes in and dismisses me, and this time tells me that he doesn’t need more proof. I can come back when I feel better.

4 days later, Mr. “I haven’t taken a sick day in 9 years” was sick with some nasty lung nonsense and was out for a week.

If only he had more discipline.”

Check out what folks said on Reddit.

This reader had a good idea…

Another Reddit user shared their own sickness story.

One individual was impressed by what they did.

This reader is glad we don’t have to hear from these folks anymore.

And one person is not a fan of folks who brag about working while sick.

You can’t do this stuff in the office anymore.

Covid sure did teach us a lot of lessons…