Boss who sent employee home early for using their phone ends up paying them for the whole day

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 5, 2023. It has since been updated.

Even when we love our jobs, we have to stand up for our rights sometimes. This happened to Reddit user u/ananxiouscat, who took to Reddit and shared a picture of a mail he sent his boss. He wrote in the post: "He sent me home because I was on my phone. Over the last 6 months, I was elected shop steward to the union and I've been teaching my coworkers their rights and even brought our union rep in to discuss serious problems at our workplace, which my boss has taken personally and has been trying to find any excuse to fire me."

The mail to his boss read, "Thank you for that, but on Friday, 3/17, I only have 3 hours recorded. I understand you sent me home that day, but per section 22.6 of our contract, employees are to be paid for a full day if they are sent home."

He then cited section 22.6 of his contract: "Any employee hired and not put to work shall be paid not less than a day or night's pay for the shift he was hired. Employees laid off after starting a day or night's work shall be paid not less than a day or night's pay. If an employee is employed after the regular starting time and is not ordered to work the following day he shall be paid a full day's pay for the part day he worked. In an emergency beyond the control of the Employer, the employees shall be paid for the number of hours worked on that particular shift."

Many Reddit users came to his support in the comments section. u/nancybell_crewman commented, "This is exactly why corporations spend millions of dollars pushing anti-union propaganda and fighting tooth and nail against efforts to unionize." u/MerkyMouse wrote, "Dude no kidding. I've done EVERYTHING for this company, at times my coworkers thought I might be a union buster, but really I just like to work and mind my business. But no matter how good a job I do, even though I have documentation showing I'm the best operator they've had in over 10 years, they still find a way to talk to me like I'm worthless. I am actively making them eat their words every day now."

Meanwhile, u/jezter24 wrote, "I have had bosses treat employees who basically do all the work and keep them out of trouble—allowing them to be who knows where—like crap while those who don’t do anything and cause problems are buddy-buddy with." u/dicho83 commented, "If bosses treat employees as valuable, even if it's only those few who actively show value, then those employees might realize they have value and stand up for themselves and their coworkers. The boss/employee relationship is generally an abusive one full of gaslighting."

u/shamedintonormalcy wrote, "That gaslighting helps make sure that even the most aggrieved will only stand up for themselves if they ever do. Right here on the sub, we have people who act against change in the workplace, but they aren't willing to own up to it. They're the ones who will call bulls**t on any kind of idealistic talk whatsoever, even just pursuing complaints."  u/Flomo420 commented, "It's really not a big ask, is it? To be treated fairly and with dignity? But apparently, it is, and so we need to collectively force them to do it. Because unless we don't, they will continue to encroach on our rights until it is the norm." 

The employee who stood up for his rights got plenty of support on the internet and it could not have been more wholesome!