Imagine grieving the loss of a friend. Would you still go to work, or would you need to take a few days off to process your grief?

In this story, one teenage girl was in this situation, but her boss forced her to come into work anyway.

That was a really bad idea.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

Don’t think a 17 year old girl crying at the counter is a good look for your company…

Background: Back in highschool, I worked for a bakery that’s popular in my area.

Overall, it was a really good job!

I liked the people I worked with, I love baking and the food was great, a really good gig for a highschool job.

It was hard to know what to expect from the bosses.

My bosses tho, they were hit or miss.

They simultaneously tried to be our friend and boss, and randomly would be total AHs, with no heads up.

But for the most part they didn’t bother me too much and I made do.

She really needed a day off.

One night my senior year, one of my best friends ODed and passed away.

I was of course, inconsolable.

The next day I had a shift. I called my boss to let them know I couldn’t go in, but it was a day he decided to stick to his guns and be a jerk, telling me I had to come in, no one could cover, even after I explained what was happening.

It was awkward.

Why didn’t I quit?

I should’ve, but I was in shock and a kid and it honestly didn’t even enter my mind.

I went the other way instead. Said “fine, I’ll be there, just as I am.”

So you can imagine how awkward it was for customers to come up to the counter at their local bakery, to see a young woman with tears streaming down her face trying to ring them up, snotty nosed and hiccuping through the interaction.

She eventually got to go home.

Thankfully my shift supervisor actually had a heart and sent me home and changed my schedule for a few days.

It’s minor MC, and while horrible at the time, it makes me laugh now.

I’m not sure this was malicious compliance unless the boss was there to realize how cruel he was to demand she show up for work.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person finds the situation funny.

These siblings had a great boss.

This employee also had a great boss.

How horrible!

More bosses need to show compassion.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.