Boss's No-WFH Rule Backfires As Sick Employee Comes In
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A story posted on Reddit has gone viral after an employee detailed how their boss's refusal to allow remote work backfired spectacularly. The anonymous user recounted how they turned up at the office visibly ill, only to be told later in the day to go home and work remotely after all.
The now-viral post titled "Boss said no working from home, so I came in sick as requested" was shared on Reddit and has sparked a flood of reactions online. The employee explained that they woke up one morning with classic symptoms of illness—fever, cough, and feeling generally unwell.
"I messaged my boss to ask if I could work from home so I wouldn't get anyone sick. He replied, 'No exceptions. If you're well enough to work, you're well enough to be here,'" the user wrote. Taking the message literally, they turned up at the office "coughing and sniffling the whole time."
What happened next felt like poetic justice. "The look on his face when I walked through the door was priceless. By the end of the day, he told me to go home and said I could work remotely after all. Funny how that works," the post concluded.
Reactions Slam Toxic Work Culture
The post has since exploded in popularity, with users slamming the rigid and outdated work culture that refuses to adapt.
"I hate this culture that forces people to work when they are sick," commented one user. Another added, "So many bosses don't recognize that the point of WFH and sick time is so the rest of the workforce don't get sick. Oh, but they can't surveil you properly if you work from home!"
Others chimed in with comparisons to more compassionate work environments. "Makes me so thankful for living in Norway, I just text my boss 'Can't come in today, not feeling well' and he'll reply with 'Ok, get better soon! :)'" one user noted.
Another added sarcastically, "I hope you shook his hand, gave him a great big hug and thanked him."
One user even shared a similar story: "I came to work one day with the flu... I show up a few days later and the place is empty. Yep, everyone is home with the flu."
This viral tale has once again raised questions about workplace flexibility and the common-sense approach that some companies still fail to adopt—until it’s too late.
The now-viral post titled "Boss said no working from home, so I came in sick as requested" was shared on Reddit and has sparked a flood of reactions online. The employee explained that they woke up one morning with classic symptoms of illness—fever, cough, and feeling generally unwell.
"I messaged my boss to ask if I could work from home so I wouldn't get anyone sick. He replied, 'No exceptions. If you're well enough to work, you're well enough to be here,'" the user wrote. Taking the message literally, they turned up at the office "coughing and sniffling the whole time."
What happened next felt like poetic justice. "The look on his face when I walked through the door was priceless. By the end of the day, he told me to go home and said I could work remotely after all. Funny how that works," the post concluded.
Reactions Slam Toxic Work Culture
The post has since exploded in popularity, with users slamming the rigid and outdated work culture that refuses to adapt.
"I hate this culture that forces people to work when they are sick," commented one user. Another added, "So many bosses don't recognize that the point of WFH and sick time is so the rest of the workforce don't get sick. Oh, but they can't surveil you properly if you work from home!"
Others chimed in with comparisons to more compassionate work environments. "Makes me so thankful for living in Norway, I just text my boss 'Can't come in today, not feeling well' and he'll reply with 'Ok, get better soon! :)'" one user noted.
Another added sarcastically, "I hope you shook his hand, gave him a great big hug and thanked him."
One user even shared a similar story: "I came to work one day with the flu... I show up a few days later and the place is empty. Yep, everyone is home with the flu."
This viral tale has once again raised questions about workplace flexibility and the common-sense approach that some companies still fail to adopt—until it’s too late.
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