Employee Asked For A Sick Leave During A Chronic Condition Flare-Up Early In The Morning, But Her Manager Issued A Written Warning When She Got Back
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Workplace policies should be clear and applied fairly to everyone.
In this story, an employee asked for a sick day early in the morning when she realized she had a flare-up.
She notified her manager by text at 6 am before her shift and received a reply saying to feel better.
When she returned to work, she received a written warning about the way she communicated her sick leave request.
Read the full story below to find out more.
Manager wrote me up for being “unprofessional” after I used the sick leave she approved
I have a chronic condition that flares up maybe twice a year.
I’ve been upfront about it since I was hired. HR knows. My manager knows.
It’s documented, and there’s literally a policy for this.
This employee texted her manager that she needed to take a day off.
Last Wednesday, I woke up and knew it was a flare-up day.
I couldn’t stand up straight and couldn’t focus. So I did what the policy says.
I texted my manager at 6 am, told her I was using a sick day, and said I’d keep her updated.
She replied, “Okay, feel better.” That was it, or so I thought.
When she came back, she was called into the office and got a warning slip.
I came back Thursday. Friday morning, she called me into her office and slid a written warning across the desk.
Reason? “Unprofessional communication.” I asked what she meant.
She said I should have “called instead of texting” because texting is “not appropriate for last-minute absences.”
I pointed out that I texted at 6 am. I didn’t call because I assumed she was asleep.
I also pointed out that she replied, “Okay, feel better,” which sounds like approval to me.
Her manager wrote her up for the way she communicated her sick leave request.
Her response: “The issue isn’t the day off. It’s the way you communicated it.”
So let me get this straight. I followed the policy. I gave notice before my shift started.
I used an approved sick day for a documented medical condition.
And I’m being written up because I texted instead of called at 6 am on a day I was barely conscious.
I asked if there was a written policy requiring phone calls for sick days.
She said it’s “implied.” IMPLIED. Like a contract term in a movie about genies.
She didn’t sign the warning.
I didn’t sign the warning. I told her I’d be happy to discuss it with HR.
She said, “That won’t be necessary.”
So now, I have a written warning in my file for using a benefit I’m legally entitled to.
In a way that was explicitly approved by the person now punishing me for it.
Anyone else get disciplined for following the rules they were given?
Yikes! Is that even an issue?
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I think sending a written warning over a communication method that wasn’t clearly prohibited seems unfair.
OP was right to think about raising the issue with HR and asking for the actual policy in writing.
Perhaps her manager was simply looking for a way to get back at her for taking a sick day.
Let’s read the responses of other people on this story.
This user shares their personal thoughts.
Here’s a similar thought.
People are saying the same thing.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier who got annoyed with a group of friends who insisted on returning their items separately.
Short but sensible.
Finally, here’s a petty revenge idea…
Apparently, “feel better” came with a few unexpected terms and conditions!
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