Workplace policies often preach flexibility and fairness, until an employee actually needs them.

When a high-performing HR employee was disciplined for missing work with the flu and later pneumonia, a rigid boss pushed the situation just far enough to turn corporate pressure into a very expensive mistake.

Keep reading for the full story!

I can’t call out sick? Ok!

I called out sick for the first time nine months into my new job after catching the flu. I avoided infection for three years and caught it from a coworker.

I was told my position (HR/PR) was so essential that I wasn’t allowed to call out sick.

Our PTO policy was 24 hours of sick time per year, which was the minimum required by state law.

So when she didn’t show up to work, she was swiftly punished.

I received a write-up for calling out and responded with a concise summary of employee attendance records, which showed I was in the 98th percentile. I was then asked to wipe my response from the records.

Three months later, I was hospitalized for pneumonia.

Her employer was equally heartless this time too.

I missed one day of work and, upon returning, was sent home until I provided a doctor’s note.

I paid a $75 copay to obtain a note that confirmed and cleared my absence. Mr. President refused to accept the note allowing my return to work until I provided another note allowing me to return to work.

But here’s where things got much more expensive for the company.

I could have spent the extra money but refused.

After Mr. President spoke with his $250/hour attorney, I received a $14,000 severance and a promise not to dispute my unemployment.

This sounds like a workplace she was right to get away from.

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

This toxic policy ended up costing this company way more money.

If the boss is going to deny her sickness, she might as well prove it right in front of him.

This company’s logic makes absolutely no sense to this commenter.

This story made this redditor appreciate their much more humane sick leave policy.

This company learned the hard way what happens when you push sick employees too far.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.