No one likes the stupid work policies that force grown adults to get notes from their doctor like a school might require of a child.
In this case, the person was even still working, just from home.
OP’s job has a policy of working from home no more than two days a week.
It’s a tale as old as capitalism: my job (which, to be fair, I freaking adore working at and am so grateful for and happy at) requires a doctor’s note because I’ve been sick and working from home for 2 days.
When they got sick, it was definitely require more than 2 days at home.
Now, I haven’t just had a minor cold or flu. Several days ago, I came down with the worst cold/flu symptoms you can imagine, and then things starting going downhill from there.
It got to the point where I have now been to the ER 2 days in a row because of tonsillitis and excruciating pain brought on by swallowing tiny sips of water. It’s not great.
And despite a whole battery of swabs and tests, the doctors don’t know what the underlying bacteria or virus causing these symptoms is.
So, they knew what their options were.
Obviously, there’s no way in hell I want to infect my coworkers with this plague, so I told HR that I would be working from home until I’m feeling better, since my job can be done 100% remotely.
They hit me back with the ever-famous “If you need to work from home for more than 2 days in a week, you’ll need a doctors note since it’s against policy.”
My first instinct was to just go in to work looking, sounding, and feeling like death warmed up.
But a) I don’t want to infect my colleagues, and b) I legitimately believe that I would pass out on my walk to work and would have to be taken to the hospital yet again.
The emergency room doctor was honestly insulted to have to write the note.
Instead, I spoke to the ER doctor from earlier this evening (my second visit in as many days). I asked him how long he thought I should stay away from work/work from home, and then told him I needed a note so I could stay home.
He had a brief flash of vaguely furious “What the F?!” cross his face at the ides that my job would force someone as sick as I am to come in and risk the health of those around me, then assured me he would write the note.
I was thinking it would just be a basic “LuluGingerspice should continue to work from home until the end of the week.”
Nah, bro came through for me.
He wrote a note saying that I should be off of work for at minimum another week, then added the piece de resistance as his last line:
“Infectious disease requires more time [than 2 days] to improve.”
Boom.
At least doctors have a sense of humor about it.
It makes sense that the doctor’s would be on the patient’s side here.
We’re all wondering how long this will take.
It’s just one more hurdle for people already struggling to clear them.
Seriously, these rules need to be scrapped.
If you can’t trust your employees not to lie about being sick, you probably have bigger problems.
Want to read another story where somebody got satisfying revenge? Check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.