Given how many days of our adult lives we work, it goes without saying that some days we work when we’re not at our best. That can mean anything from a cold or a hangover to suffering from a serious illness or undergoing a terrible life circumstance – because in many countries, there is very little infrastructure to allow us to not work during that time. More than that, though, sometimes we accept that we need to work for money, and in some instances – especially if our colleagues are kind and management are supportive – work can actually be quite a pleasant distraction from some of life’s hardships.

So if you’re in management and you want a happy, loyal team, it goes without saying that you need to treat them well. Make adjustments if they’re struggling at work, don’t be on their back if they’re clearly physically sick and things are taking them a little longer than usual. And more than anything, pay your employees properly! In the long run, their loyalty and dedication to their work will thank you.

For the guy in this story, being treated consistently well at work was so far above what he was needing – instead, he just needed a manager to take notice when he was struggling. Well, they didn’t – so in the end, he took decisive action.

Read on to find out what happened.

AITA for walking off a job that needed me because they were okay making me work in pain?

I finally quit my job as a fast food cashier in the middle of the pandemic.

My restaurant stayed open during all of Covid-19 and I had several new tasks to do for helping customers, but had mandatory help taking Drive-Thru orders while I was cashier and passing out.

My new tasks were really hard on my back, which were holding out the card reader for customers to swipe and insert it themselves, and handing out everything on a tray (a really heavy, and inconvenient one).

All this leaning out and quick turning took a toll on my back for MONTHS.

Let’s see why this was such an issue for this cashier.

Prior to Covid-19 going full swing in the US, I was out for three days because I could barely stand with a sharp pain in my upper left buttock.

My doctor’s office was too busy to see me, so I called in (improper as I only called one and a quarter hours before my shift not a full two plus hours) and went to a MedService place.

The physician there said I pinched a nerve and gave me a few muscle relaxers and three days off work, starting the day of my appointment.

But then, in the middle of the pandemic I was struggling again, and eventually I felt that sharp pain.

This time, however, things were worse.

I now had to lean on my left foot all the way because not only was my pain back, my right foot was in serious pain and I had to lean on it a lot.

I was holding onto my window and table trying to handle dinner rush, and I could tell my Assistant General Manager and my General Manager had noticed I was now grinding to a halt and unable to move properly.

When someone did ask an hour later, I told them I was in serious pain and having a hard time standing.

They apologised and my manager said, “I know little buddy” and I went on for two more hours, covering everyone’s breaks and smoke breaks because I’m always last.

Eventually, his colleagues started to take notice.

After several people noticed and asked, I was in near tears – but I’m a man, have to hold my emotions down. When a manager who just got in came to relieve me for a break, she asked me if I was okay, and my broken voice told her ‘No, I’m in serious pain, it hurts to stand’.

She apologised, and using the last of my strength I went to the backroom and grabbed my messenger bag, messaged some people and walked off with all the strength I could muster.

My father called me to talk to me and when I told him I walked off, he told me to go back and actually quit. So reluctantly, I went back, called over the only co-worker I respected (she was not a manager) and told her I’m leaving and I’m done.

I was waiting outside as my sister was coming to get me and decided to move and just in time for the Assistant General Manager to come out calling my name and trying to reach me via our work app. I ignored it all and eventually went home.

AITA?

Pandemic or no pandemic, rush or no rush, no one should be having to work through debilitating pain.

When you see an employee is struggling, you do your best to rotate staff so that they can take a break, especially if they have a condition you know they struggle with sometimes.

It’s no wonder he decided to quit.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who rejects a low contract offer and leaves the company instead.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit made of this.

This person was very sympathetic with the cashier’s situation.

While others thought he should have given notice to his manager.

And this Redditor gave him some tips to help with the pain.

Sure, it’s not a great look to walk out on a job, and it’s not a mature thing to do either. In the middle of a rush, the managers would have had to figure out how to cover him, with no clarity on what was actually happening. But that isn’t fully his fault. After all, he was being put in a position where he was having to do extra movement that he wasn’t used to, and it was clearly playing havoc with his back issues. Meanwhile, his pain was clearly visible – such that numerous colleagues were asking him if he was okay – and all the while the management did nothing to help him.

Patronising comments aside, would it really have been that hard to switch up the break schedule so that he could get off his feet for a while, and have someone else cover him? It might be a little frustrating for other employees, but if they could see how much pain their colleague was in, there would have undoubtedly been plenty of volunteers to switch. Sometimes when you’re managing other humans, you have to remember that they are exactly that – human. And human employees have needs sometimes. It’s your job as a manager to be attuned to that.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an IT department who keeps receiving tickets for a company that was previously spun off.