Imagine having the flu but no health insurance, so you can’t go to the doctor to get a doctor’s note to give to your employer.

Would you hope that your employer was understanding, or would you pay whatever it cost out of pocket to get a doctor’s note?

In this story, one retail worker is in this situation and calls in sick with the flu. It’s doesn’t work out the way he had hoped, but perhaps it’s actually even better.

Let’s read the whole story.

I’m free! I’m free!

Here’s the skinny: I’ve had the flu the last few days, right? Right. The FLU. Which is highly contagious and sometimes deadly to old people (the kind that frequent Walgreen’s).

Even though I’ve recently been rehired by said company, I have no insurance and, since they put me in at the rate of $7.50/hour, I have no money after paying for being alive (this is how I refer to all my “necessary” bills like lodging and such).

Therefore, I cannot go to the doctor. Would not, in fact, since I would be charged an exorbitant sum for something that will be gone in a few days, assuming I survive.

Because of these reasons, I have no “Doctor’s Note.” What I have is the desire to not infect everyone I work with and every customer who comes in contact with me. Feels like responsibility to me, right?

Fired for being sick? That should be illegal.

I called in this morning for the third time in a row. My manager said, “It’s not necessary. Per company policy, three unexcused absences in a row means I need to hire someone for your vacated position immediately.”

At the time, it was 8:05 a.m. I had been calling since 7:00 trying to be responsible. I’ve been up and down all night, puking, dry-heaving, and sweating. I look like death warmed over.

It probably goes down as one of the worst mornings of my life, all before 9:00 a.m.

Maybe it’s not a bad thing after all.

Then, it struck me.

I’d planned on quitting in a couple of weeks anyhow and moving back to my home town. I already have things in place to do this, just waiting on a check.

My wife and I are basically packed, I have substitute teaching jobs lined up for most of next week (which pay more than WallyG’s anyhow), and I’m going to be fine…I’m going to be fine.

Teaching will pay more too.

Once I’m in place, I’ll be on sub lists for several different schools and should have no problem teaching five days a week.

This summer, I’ll have my full teaching certification, and I have a couple of teaching job offers lined up for next semester.

Things may be a bit tight without the “steady” income Walgreen’s was supplying, but I’d rather be subbing.

I figure it like this: If WG pays 7.50/hour and I average 35 hours/week, I make a little less than $450 every two weeks after taxes.

Subbing: 70/day, 5 days per week = $625 every two weeks after taxes.

It sounds like it’s time to move and start subbing!

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person was in a similar situation.

Here’s another similar story but about lunch breaks not being sick.

It’s always good to look on the bright side.

This sounds like the beginning of a TV show.

Getting fired for being sick is ridiculous!

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