Some companies require a doctor’s note in order to take a sick day from work even when that seems unreasonable.

In today’s story, one employee’s boss refused to pay for a sick day without a doctor’s note.

The doctor ended up giving the employee a note, but the boss wasn’t happy with what it said.

Let’s see how the story plays out…

Sprained ankle, boss wanted a doctors note to pay one day of sick time now he’s paying a week.

I twisted and sprained my ankle Monday morning packing up our camp from Labor Day weekend.

Having done this a few times in the past, I didn’t want to bother to have it checked out (who wants to pay $1,000 for urgent care to tell you to rest and ice it!? Yay America) so I went to work Tuesday.

I got morning stuff done and explained the situation to my boss, told him I’d need to take the day because it was swollen and painful and I needed to rest and be off of it in order for it to heal.

He gets in a tizzy because god forbid anyone needs to miss work for anything at all ever, and snaps at me for not planning to go to the doctor.

OP’s boss thinks OP should go to the doctor.

Wednesday I go in to work, still limping and still wearing improper foot wear (I can only fit the injured foot into a croc without unbearable pain).

The first thing the boss says is “don’t you think you should get that checked out? I don’t understand why you don’t want to just pay for it”.

I explain again that I’ve had this injury in the past, it’s definitely not broken and honestly not even as swollen as it has been when I’ve done it before.

I want to be at work to keep up on things and make everyone’s job less difficult I would just need to take it easy for a couple days which isn’t a problem considering I can do 90% of the job from my desk and the 10% slack is beyond easy for everyone to pick up (especially when not being there makes them pick up 100% of it).

This gets met with more attitude.

The boss insists on a doctor’s note.

I ask if I’ll be getting paid sick time for the day I missed yesterday.

He says no, not without a doctors note (you can visibly see the injury clear as day and I’m trying here so wtf!?).

I’m fed up by this point, so a little later on I say okay and leave to go to the doctors for the note he wants so badly knowing full well what they’ll say to treat it and that I’ll need to be off of it for 3-5 days.

After and X-ray and getting the “yup it’s sprained, keep doing what you’ve been doing” I let them know my boss asked for a note for missing a day of work to rest it.

The boss has to pay OP for 4 days of sick time.

Doc asks if I want to be at work to do what I can and stay off of it as best as possible.

I said that’s what I’ve been trying to do so I’m fine with that I do have sick time if it would be more beneficial to be off of it for a couple days.

She comes back with a note that I may return to work on 9/9 which would be Monday.

I took a picture and shot it over to boss man, just the photo. He replies “what wrong with ankle” which I met with no response considering none is needed, he got his note.

I just wanted a day of sick time, 8 hours.

Now he’s paying me 4 days, 32 hours.

He can’t refuse a second of it.

It seems like the doctor was the one who really got malicious compliance by giving OP multiple days off work.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted…

This person’s boss sounds like the exact opposite of OP’s boss.

Another reader ranted about healthcare in America.

Here’s the truth about an HSA…

This reader shares a similar story about a doctor’s note.

Maybe getting a doctor’s note really is a good idea!

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.