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'Haven’t taken a day off in a year': Employee says he was asked to work on day of emergency surgery
An employee shared how they were asked to work through a medical emergency, raising questions about workplace boundaries.
An employee’s Reddit post has been widely discussed online after they shared how their boss allegedly asked them to report to work on the same day they were scheduled for emergency surgery. The employee, who works in marketing for celebrities, spoke about long working hours, low pay and rising pressure despite serious health concerns.
'I haven’t taken a day off in a year'
The post explained the difficult situation the employee feels trapped in. The user wrote, “For context, I got a job last year in a ‘dream’ industry that is highly underpaid and demanding to begin with. However, I have two other stints on my resume under or around two years. One because of my spouse’s job relocating us, the other because I was diagnosed with cancer. I was desperate, and I decided to make this work for as long as possible.”
They further added, “I have not taken any full day off. I have travelled and worked every time. I work on weekends, mornings and nights, basically being on call. I work in marketing for celebrities and earn about 13 dollars per hour after taxes.”
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The employee went on to describe a recent medical emergency, writing, “I had to undergo emergency surgery last week for something completely out of my control. My boss still asked me to attend a meeting on the same day, and I did. Now he is being extremely demanding despite me recovering. I feel stuck, miserable, and like I am constantly bending over backwards for behaviour that feels abusive, just to be respected on my resume. Do I push through for another year?”
Take a look:
How social media reacted
One user advised them to explore legal and workplace protections, saying they should apply for medical leave, speak to a doctor for a formal work release, and inform both their manager and HR about their condition.
Another comment read, “Your health is everything. You lose your health, you lose it all. Demand time off. If refused, go to HR and tell them you need short-term disability to recover. Get your surgeon to write a letter certifying this. Then start looking for another job while you recover.”
Another user wrote, “Oh please take better care of yourself. You are being used up! Any job is better than that and pays more. Disability in any form would be a raise for you. Do it to live. Please. Good luck. Sending.”
One comment said, “Call in sick at the last minute. Take care of yourself.”
Another added, “This is the opposite of a dream job.”
One user remarked, “You can make more doing less at Target or at Chick-fil-A. You’re being taken advantage of.”
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Another explained, “If you are an independent contractor, he is not your boss. You are your own boss. You work for yourself. You decide your working hours, your wages, and you contract out your work to him. If that sounds ridiculous, then he is intentionally misclassifying you. A call to the Department of Labour will clear up the whole thing. Please write to the labour law sub or ask the HR sub, or both.”
