Sick teen requests day off to protect customers, only to face fire from the boss. So karma made him pay through his teeth

Being a leader isn’t just about showing off power and making demands; it’s also about practicing professionalism and compassion. An employee who goes by u/AurouraPlays recalled a story from his teenage years when he was working a job in the food industry. In a post shared on January 12, the former employee noted how his toxic manager, Jack, refused to let him leave when his allergies kicked in and made him sick. Despite being in the food industry, the man ignored the potential safety hazard and insisted that the employee continue to work. However, he didn’t fuss, and karma played the perfect role to fix things by bringing the supervisor around just as the employee was tossing his third box of tissues.

"I was working the drive-through one fine fall morning, right across from a palo verde tree," the employee began, emphasizing how Fall turns these trees into pollen-bearing factories. The employee noted how he had severe seasonal allergies that would often show up at random and immediately required medication and rest. One day, at his former workplace, he caught a pollen allergy and requested his manager to cut him some slack. “I started by asking if I could simply move to another station to get away from the offending tree,” the post read. However, the manager refused. When he asked to at least go pick up medication so he could curb the runny nose, the obnoxious superior rejected that idea, too. “I asked if I could go home then, since I can't do anything else to alleviate my symptoms. Nope, I needed to stick around, dripping snot all over the counter while I talked to customers,” he said. After realizing the manager wouldn’t show a trace of humanity and common sense, the worker let karma come to play. 

He knew the franchise owner, Sam, and was expecting him to take rounds as usual. “This was information Jack had as well, but I suppose he didn't consider that Sam could possibly disagree with his handling of the situation,” he remarked. The employee waited in his frail state as best as he could till the owner showed up. When he was on his third box of tissues, one hour away from his shift ending, and in a condition that looked beyond terrifying, Sam showed up. “I'm sure the customers must've thought I was coming down with the plague or something. Finally, Sam arrives,” the post revealed.

Right enough, the man enquired why the worker was looking sick and why he was in close proximity to food items in that condition. "I asked Jack, he said I couldn't do either, and refused to send me home. I've just been trying to tough it out,” he immediately responded. The duo immediately headed to the manager, where the employee was once again reprimanded for not being put at his station. But this time, the owner had his back. “Before I could respond, Sam cut in with a stern, ‘I had someone cover him. Why'd you keep him in the drive-through when the tree was making his allergies act up like this?’”

The boss tried to weave petty excuses, but Sam was not having it. He first dismissed the employee for the day, apologized to him, and called out the manager. Though he didn’t hear what happened after, “that situation did get an honorable mention at the next staff meeting.” According to Kick Resume, a lot of employees are dealing with toxic and arrogant superiors silently. Out of 1,109 professionals surveyed, 85% reported that they have worked under a boss who was “horrible.” 94% of employees noted that their boss’s negativity has impacted their work-life balance, and 70% have been pushed to quit due to the toxicity. Team Software surveyed 1,000 US employees, revealing that 67% employees worked while sick, and 54% couldn't afford to take even a single week of unpaid sick leave without defaulting on bills. 15% of Gen Z workers also reported that they were fired or forced to resign after taking sick leave.

Among the top mistreatments highlighted, workers complained about being disrespected, micromanaged, and receiving unfair treatment. Other top reasons included lack of empathy, being bossy or bullying workers, and even blaming them for the errors of others. The only options employees are left with are to keep mum and hold on to their jobs or quit. In both cases, they suffer. Fortunately, this employee was supported by a higher-up and managed to find a better outcome out of it all. u/9inkski3s noted, “Sorry you went through that, but great for you that you told his boss. Some people need a quick reminder of how they should treat people.” u/angelsparklers added, “Jack's power trip backfired hard. You outlasted his bad call and let his boss see the mess he created.” 

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