When you think about it, corporate sick policies are pretty mental. Anyone who has ever had a significant viral or bacterial infection knows that it takes more than a couple days to feel like going to work again, nevermind being, you know, no longer contagious.

OP caught one of those horrid things, even landing in the ER for fluids a couple of times because her throat swelling made it so painful to swallow.

It’s a tale as old as capitalism: my job (which, to be fair, I freaking adore working at and am so grateful for and happy at) requires a doctors note because I’ve been sick and working from home for 2 days.

Now, I haven’t just had a minor cold or flu. Several days ago, I came down with the worst cold/flu symptoms you can imagine, and then things starting going downhill from there. It got to the point where I have now been to the ER 2 days in a row because of tonsillitis and excruciating pain brought on by swallowing tiny sips of water.

It’s not great. And despite a whole battery of swabs and tests, the doctors don’t know what the underlying bacteria or virus causing these symptoms is.

Still, when she told her work it would be a couple more days and she wanted to still work from home, they told her she would need a doctor’s note.

Obviously, there’s no way in hell I want to infect my coworkers with this plague, so I told HR that I would be working from home until I’m feeling better, since my job can be done 100% remotely.

They hit me back with the ever-famous “If you need to work from home for more than 2 days in a week, you’ll need a doctors note since it’s against policy.”

After she got over the desire to drag her sick behind into work, she asked the ER doctor, who was mad at the entire concept.

My first instinct was to just go in to work looking, sounding, and feeling like death warmed up. But a) I don’t want to infect my colleagues, and b) I legitimately believe that I would pass out on my walk to work and would have to be taken to the hospital yet again.

Instead, I spoke to the ER doctor from earlier this evening (my second visit in as many days). I asked him how long he thought I should stay away from work/work from home, and then told him I needed a note so I could stay home.

He had a brief flash of vaguely furious “What the ****?!” cross his face at the ides that my job would force someone as sick as I am to come in and risk the health of those around me, then assured me he would write the note.

But, his note was epic.

I was thinking it would just be a basic “LuluGingerspice should continue to work from home until the end of the week.”

Nah, bro came through for me. He wrote a note saying that I should be off of work for at minimum another week, then added the piece de resistance as his last line:

“Infectious disease requires more time [than 2 days] to improve.”

Does Reddit think this is asinine? They’re about to sound off!

There are apparently a lot of doctors out there playing the hero.

It’s a self-perpetuating cycle.

While this person points out that, in America, most of us never even go to a doctor to begin with.

I’m going to give this a try next time.

Anger a doctor, get a week off work!