Worker suffering from a brain injury asks boss to reduce their hours — gets scheduled for 20 extra hours instead

Medical issues must be taken seriously, and long working hours should never jeopardize an employee's health. When an employee on Reddit (u/krammiit) was diagnosed with a brain bleed, they informed their boss that they needed their weekly hours reduced from 45 to 40. However, their boss instead increased their workload to 60 hours and even threatened to fire them if they did not submit a reasonable accommodation form with a doctor's signature. Sharing their ordeal on December 6, the post quickly gained over 2,000 upvotes on Reddit.

u/krammiit had started a job in security and, during the onboarding process, did not submit any accommodation request because they had no medical diagnosis at the time. Later, they developed migraines but were still forced to work 45 hours. "My PCP sent me to a neurologist who found a 9 mm cavernoma in my brain through an MRI. My migraines increased and I was completely honest with my boss and told them I need fewer hours for more testing. My boss agreed and scheduled me 40 hours," the author wrote. The client was also accommodating and clearly communicated the exact 40 hours required for the work.

But things changed the following week when the employee's boss suddenly scheduled them for 60 hours. "I reminded her of the agreement with the client and sent her the email again, stating he only needs 40 hours. I sent in writing that I have a new medical diagnosis. I included the MRI results from the hospital and copied her immediate supervisor," they wrote. Instead of adjusting the schedule, the boss demanded that the employee "not leave the site" or risk being written up. She also said that unless the employee provided medical proof with a signed doctor's note, they would be fired. The boss added that clocking in late or leaving early would also result in termination. The author noted that working 60 hours would worsen their medical condition and expressed their fear that even submitting the documents would likely result in the boss rejecting the accommodation.

A 2021 report by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization found that working long hours, defined as 55 hours or more per week, contributed to an estimated 745,000 deaths worldwide in 2016 due to stroke and heart disease. By forcing the employee to work despite a serious medical diagnosis, the boss is knowingly sabotaging their health and putting their life at risk. Soon after the post went viral, many users bashed the boss for their irresponsible rule.

u/oo7demonkiller wrote, "At this point she is actually trying to kill you. Report her to the labor board, get a lawyer, and ruin her." u/Obvious-Ranger-2235 wrote, "Sounds like a case of constructive criticism. They want to get rid of you because you have a serious health issue. So they are trying to find a way to fire you. Seek proper legal advice if you can." u/bob49877 commented, "If you do get fired, many attorneys will do a free consultation and contingency for violation of state and federal disability discrimination laws."

More on Scoop Upworthy

Sick employee stands up for themself after boss demands they come in to work

Employee writes detailed sick-leave excuses to troll workplace for being too nosy, leaves them regretting it

Employee quits after working long unpaid hours highlighting the importance of a healthy workplace