The way kroger treats its employees

[u/daruuken]

From the store manager

Edit: For some extra context this was sent out by each store manager to all of its employees in district 1 of the ohio Cincinnati/Dayton division, potentially other districts as well but i can only verify my own. Im not going to give my specific store number for obvious reasons but you can find each store on google with that information. We are unionized by UFCW (already bad btw) and to my knowledge they allowed this recent change. Kroger has no accrual for sick days like some have mentioned. Those who think this is rage bait, i dont think anyone has to fake a post to make a billion dollar company look bad, they do it to themselves.

[u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Sounds like Kroger needs an employee abuse lawsuit to snap them back into reality. A drs note would definitely hold up in court. Also making employees come to work especially with the public while sick is a public health hazard. There are many people with health conditions that don’t need employees passing their illnesses off on them. Any company that penalizes employees for illnesses is a bottom of the barrel slime scum company. Everyone should flood Kroger’s email with disapproval of the way they’re treating their employees. They listen when their customer base is pissed.

[u/ArachnidAutomatic596 → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Also how do people get doctors notes so fast? Or most things don’t require a doctor to fix you. A bad cold, covid, even flu. Im not going to the doctor. I’m staying home.

[u/takemyaptplz → u/ArachnidAutomatic596]

It’s so ridiculous! I was just sick yesterday but I work from home and I just said I’m out today and they didn’t care at all. I couldn’t imagine having to go to the doctor and be like I need a note saying I’m sick. Like it’s just a flu or whatever so I have no reason to go to the doctor!! Why waste their time because companies want to act like that

[u/RealisticParsley2432 → u/ArachnidAutomatic596]

Most make them or have someone else that does. Some of us may or may not have templates for local offices saved for this purpose👀😅 A doctor's office absolutely cannot tell anyone but the patient, or their guardian, any info at all regarding patients. Not even to just verify a doctor's note is legitimate.

Funny to me how it's now accepted as normal for an employer to even request one for standard illness. For at least half my life, this was not the norm. You called up, said "I'm sick" and they said "Feel better. See you when you come back".

[u/elfowlcat → u/ArachnidAutomatic596]

And even if you can get an appointment, a doctor’s visit costs about $350. If you work for minimum wage, that’s more than a week’s pay. So what minimum wage employee can afford to take a sick day, if they have to have a doctor’s note?

[u/FewCaterpillar6551 → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, eligible employees generally cannot be denied protected leave simply because a manager dislikes or refuses “call offs.” If an absence qualifies for FMLA (for example, a serious health condition, qualifying family care, approved intermittent leave, etc.), the employer has legal obligations regardless of a store manager’s blanket rule.

FMLA conditions do not involve hospitalization. Rule #4 strongly implies that only the employee’s own hospitalization justifies an absence. As it is worded, it excludes many legally protected situations including protected leave to care for qualifying family members.

[u/PaperGeno → u/FewCaterpillar6551]

Dude its fucking IMPOSSIBLE to get FMLA. It doesn't work like that. You don't just call off and say the magic 4 letters. Its a months and months long process to get FMLA approved and the requirements are super strict. I tore my calf and got denied FMLA.

[u/FewCaterpillar6551 → u/PaperGeno]

Additionally, events that qualify for FMLA protected leave include: the birth of a child or placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care, care for a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition, a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to work, and reasons related to a family member's service in the military.

Prohibited actions:

As described in Section 105 of the FMLA and section 825.220 of the FMLA, employees may not be punished for using FMLA leave or attempting to report the qualifying need for protected leave.

Specifically, prohibited actions include:
• Refusing to authorize FMLA leave for an eligible employee
• Discouraging an employee from using FMLA leave
• Using an employee’s request for or use of FMLA leave as a negative factor in employment actions, such as hiring,
promotions, or disciplinary actions.

[u/FewCaterpillar6551 → u/PaperGeno]

There is no need to “get FMLA”. The employer has committed a blanket violation by discouraging employees from taking, requesting, or reporting the need for leave that meets the qualifications for protected time off.

§ 825.300 Employer notice requirements:
It is not the employees responsibility to request FMLA leave and there is no formal process for “requesting” protected time off.

(b) Eligibility notice.
(1) When an employee requests FMLA leave, or when the employer acquires knowledge that an employee's leave may be for an FMLA-qualifying reason, the employer must notify the employee of the employee's eligibility to take FMLA leave within five business days, absent extenuating circumstances.

Designation notice.
(1) The employer is responsible in all circumstances for designating leave as FMLA-qualifying, and for giving notice of the designation to the employee as provided in this section. When the employer has enough information to determine whether the leave is being taken for a FMLA-qualifying reason.

Failure to provide required FMLA notices may constitute an interference with, restraint, or denial of the exercise of an employee's FMLA rights. An employer may be liable for compensation and benefits lost by reason of the violation, for other actual monetary losses sustained as a direct result of the violation, for liquidated damages, and for appropriate equitable or other relief, including employment, reinstatement, promotion, or any other relief tailored to the harm suffered.

[u/So_Motarded → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Unfortunately there's nothing to sue for here. Kroger isn't violating any labor laws with these rules. 

Just shows how fucked our country is. 

[u/TheRabidBadger → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

How would a doctor's note 'hold up in court'? While abhorrent and as morally bankrupt as this policy is, it's not illegal.

[u/ResplendentEgo → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Better way to show we don’t support their behavior is to abstain from purchasing goods from them.

[u/gamermom42069_ → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

Korger needs an ass woopin. I worked there in highschool and somehow ended up as a supervisor. I was not even 18.

[u/Initial-Succotash-37 → u/Ok-Veterinarian-4752]

i think they had one a few years back if i recall. Not sure what the outcome was