If you have ever had a migraine headache, you know how unpleasant it can be!

Do you think your employer would give you time off on short notice to see your doctor about your migraine?

If not, would you go to the doctor’s appointment anyway or work through the pain?

In today’s story, one employee goes to the doctor’s appointment anyway, but she’s going to make sure her manager understands how ridiculous work policies is when the tables are turned.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

Must Give 48 Hour Notice!

We’ve moved several times for my husband’s career, so I haven’t really had a career of my own, just a series of jobs.

Some were great, some were crappy.

This happened at one of the crappy places where I worked as a lowly customer service rep.

She was a great employee.

I was late 40s, very dependable, and my manager Ann called me her ideal employee.

Never had any customer complaints, never tardy, sick once in 3 years, submitted many time and money saving ideas, always worked late when asked.

I worked 32 hours a week, Monday through Thursday, so I was typically the one she asked to work late since everyone else was full-time and no overtime was involved if I worked a few extra hours.

Ann refused to bend the rules.

I was having migraines and my doctor could see me the next afternoon.

I asked Ann if I could leave two hours early the next day to go to the doctor.

She said work was slow that week and no one else was off, so yes.

But since I was giving less than 48 hours notice, it counted as unexcused and I would get a written warning.

I said that I was giving 24 hours notice and we were slow and fully staffed, so I just didn’t get why there would be a warning.

(Four warnings in 6 months and you were terminated. They didn’t care if you had a doctor’s excuse. Tardies were a warning, calling in sick, returning late from lunch. It was not difficult to get four in 6 months.)

Ann said that it was a matter of her having to shift the schedule around.

It was inconsiderate to not plan ahead and she didn’t want to set a precedent and be taken advantage of.

She wasn’t going to let this go.

I went to the appointment, got the warning, and was ticked off about it.

But I decided I would be happy to comply with their petty policy in my own malicious way.

I didn’t have to wait very long.

Time to turn the tables!

A couple weeks later, Ann came to me an hour before closing and said she had a stack of orders that had come in via Amazon and they needed to be put in that day.

The phones had been busy, so the reps who normally entered orders didn’t get to them.

Could I stay and put them in?

I said I really had no other plans, but I’d been thinking about what she’d said about giving 48 hours notice when asking someone to change their schedule, and she was right; it does lead to them taking advantage of you.

So I would be willing to stay late two days from now, but I can no longer stay late on such short notice.

”But, I didn’t know that I’d need you until just now!”

“Oh, I totally understand. It’s like when I was having migraines and needed to get into the doctor as soon as possible. I think I deserve the same consideration that you deserve. If you give me 48 hours notice, I am happy to stay.”

There was nothing Ann could do about it.

She was speechless.

She had to pay someone else overtime to stay.

A couple days later she thought she’d get back at me when she told me that I could not remain part time and would have to start working Fridays the following week.

I calmly told her that the following Thursday would be my last day then.

By that afternoon she changed her mind and I could stay on my current schedule.

What a wonderful story!

She was right to make her manager follow the same rules she had to follow.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person thinks she’s too good for that company.

Another person loved everything about this story.

Who has the power?

You shouldn’t be punished for being sick.

Here’s more praise for this story.

It was a really satisfying story!

At least justice was served.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.