Some jobs require you to take turns being on-call with your other co-workers. If one co-worker always has a reason why they can’t be on-call, would you cover for them?

One hospice nurse decided not to cover for her co-worker, and now she’s wondering if that was the wrong decision.

Read on for the full story.

AITAH for not covering for my coworker with a sick kid, resulting in her being fired

I 25f, work as a hospice nurse for a home hospice company. All of the nurses are salaried, and we make our own hours for the most part.

This is a desirable job for nurses wanting to get out of working 12 hour shifts at hospitals. It’s very desirable for parents especially.

We all have to take turns being on call overnight, roughly once every two weeks.

This is mandatory.

She’s a very reliable worker.

All of my coworkers have kids pretty much. Everyone except me.

In the three years that I have been here I have asked my coworkers for virtually nothing.

I never really get sick, and I handle my stuff. I have never called out of an on call shift.

The boss is very strict about one particular rule.

My boss has a three strikes rule, where if you have to call out of your on call shift three times within a year you get fired.

No exceptions.

If you trade your on call shift however it doesn’t count against you, it only counts against you if our boss has to mandate someone into covering the shift.

I have watched my boss fire several people over this in the few years that I have worked here.

OP offered to help Mandy out.

We got a new coworker, let’s say Mandy, about four months ago. She has called out of her on call shift twice so far, so not a good track record.

Apparently her husband is active duty and deploys a lot, and she has four kids and struggles to find a babysitter for them.

This past Monday was Mandy’s on call again. She sent out an email begging for someone to take it, because her babysitter got sick.

I offered to trade her, if she works Valentine’s Day for me. Win win right? I get Valentine’s Day off, and can go on a date. And Mandy gets her shift covered and doesn’t get fired.

Mandy didn’t take the deal.

Mandy said her husband comes back on Thursday, and they wanted to go out for Valentine’s Day. Apparently their marriage was heading towards divorce, and they really needed this night. She asked me if she could just work a day for me next month instead.

I said no chance.

She tried guilting me and shaming me, so eventually I just said you’re on your own.

She tried to backpedal, but I said no.

She pleaded with both me and our boss, but Mandy got fired.

I can tell my boss and some of our coworkers think I’m an a jerk, since I had the free time to cover her shift, and I don’t have kids or anything. AITAH?

Rules are rules, but workplace guilt trips are real.

Was this just tough luck, or did she let Mandy fail on purpose?

Reddit says no one is to blame here except…Mandy.

This person points out OP did everything they could to help, but her backpedaling ruined it.

This person says her getting fired was inevitable anyway.

And this person says it’s on her to know the rules…oh well.

She would’ve gotten fired eventually anyway.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.