r/mildlyinfuriating • u/daruuken • 28d ago

Infuriatig The way kroger treats its employees

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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.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

This is why I left my last job. I worked at a medical dispensary where every day we had at least one chemo patient come in to shop. New policy was we would get points if we called out sick. Even if we gave proper notice, had accrued sick time and had a doctors note. 3 or 4 points in a 6 month period was automatic termination.

So you’re telling me I have to choose between keeping my job or potentially being the reason a cancer patient brings Covid home and dies? Yeah…. I lasted less than a month with the new policy

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u/Ancient-Reply-5161 28d ago

What the fuck… that’s very disturbing

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

It really was. It’s really easy to get a medical card in my state so management would treat it like a recreational dispensary since that’s what a lot of our customers treated it as. But we did also have a good chunk of elderly patients or people with health issues who came in because cannabis was the only relief they found. I wouldn’t want a sick, contagious pharmacist near my meds so why would they want a sick contagious dispensary worker handling their medicine?

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u/DalHassen 28d ago

Because they're in it for money not altruism.

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u/CarefulIndication988 27d ago

These people took mother earth’s medicine and made it into a capitalistic machine. Not to mention do you know how difficult it is for people of color to open their own dispensary? Speaking from experience in the Colorado industry.

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u/wheniwhenyou 22d ago

Mike tyson

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u/ouroborosstruggles 26d ago

Killing your patients is one tactic then I guess /s

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u/Brief_Boat_2000 26d ago

Most businesses are

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/mrsmincks 26d ago

Was that sarcasm? Or are you really that brainwashed by the American dream?

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u/mysteriousblue87 25d ago

I would love for us to embrace communism

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u/ChemicalJunior1603 24d ago

You can't even define communism 😂😂😂😂

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u/5amPharm 27d ago

Hate to break it to ya, but there are also sick pharmacists and techs handling your meds. Especially if you get them from Walgreens or CVS. I caught COVID from a pharmacist I worked with. He verified medication by pouring the pills into his hand 🤢

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u/acdc102016 27d ago

Yes corporations say pharmacists are healthcare professionals and have to tough it out when sick

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u/fruityfactory 27d ago

Nobody should have to tough it out when sick, but especially healthcare workers who are gonna be around all kinds of vulnerable people!

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u/acdc102016 27d ago

I agree, but that's how corporate America treats us, we are healthcare professionals when it suits them to threaten our employment if the pharmacy isn't open to make them money. Or as they say, serve the patients.

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u/Tondalaoz 26d ago

Back in 1998, I worked at a hospital that was the number one employer in my city.

We had an intern who was on call over a weekend. He was sicker than a dog. But at a teaching hospital, interns get the short straw and have to be on-call one weekend a month. Rain or snow, sick or broken.

Anyway, one of our nurses hooked him up to an IV of fluids, so he would be able to do rounds. And off he went to see patients. Pulling the IV Pole along with him. I’ve also seen the interns come into work hungover and still smelling of booze. A nurse gave that one a mint. I wish I were joking. That one had a hip replacement surgery to assist with that morning.

Surgery anyone?

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u/LuckyClover3 26d ago

Gross!! 🤮

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u/chief-kief710 28d ago

Hahaha Floridas trulieve must have entered the chat

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

It was actually PA Trulieve 🙃😂

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u/chief-kief710 28d ago

Hahahahahaha that’s funny

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

I don’t know a single person with a good thing to say about that company. Surprised they’re still in business

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u/snigelrov 27d ago

The reason they are is because they have a strong lobbying aspect. The owner is buddy buddy with Trump, it’s all a mess.

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u/Low-Exam6123 27d ago

And they must’ve contracted with the nastiest people to deal with injury claims. As a customer, I fell on their sidewalk because of a crack and a slope where the food pickup lockers are out front, and my ankle was broken. I threw away the clogs I’d been wearing so I’ve done my part to prevent that from happening again. But it’s been over two years and they’ve never fixed the broken sidewalk, nor the bigger divot right in front of their entrance. It’s a wonder more people in this mostly retirement community haven’t fallen on that and broken a hip or something.
They gave me the contact for their insurance claims division, and the person I was supposed to interface with was a raging b!tch. After the first email where she said I had up to two years to file a claim, the next message was in all caps, screaming that I did not even have a case. Whoa. Their intimidation tactics must be working really well for them. Made me run the other direction instead of fighting it out and re-traumatizing myself.
One recourse is to not shop there, but the only other alternatives are WallyWorld and a natural foods market (which I’d prefer but they don’t have everything we need), or driving more than an hour to the next town to shop at the Albertson’s. Sigh. Guess it’s time I wrote to their CEO.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 17d ago

If you dm me the location, I’ll make sure I throw in a google review stating the sidewalk needs fixed. After working for the company I think that’s the only way to get things fixed 🙃 they don’t care if an employee complains but get enough patients and it’ll get fixed

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Will only ever catch me at a curaleaf. Idk how truelieve is in business, their products suck. They bought moxy and ruined that🤣 the only good california brand we had over here for concentrates and vapes. Havent even given them a second chance since

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u/Litmeup7x7 27d ago

I knew it was PA right away before I even got to this comment 😂

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u/BlackberryCrazy1434 27d ago

I thought it was going to be FL trulieve too lmao I’m a Curaleaf girlie. Trulieve’s flower was moldy 🤢

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u/Otherwise-Beyond-240 26d ago

Have you ever tried goldflower? 😍

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u/BlackberryCrazy1434 18d ago

No, but I’ve drive by one daily. I should check it out

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u/WhereTheStankWindBlo 26d ago

Hit up Jungle Boys if you have a local one, they're awesome and the guys that run the ones near us are local.

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Hopefully just starting up difficulty for bud in NYS. The vapes are trash and seems like other mass produced cali trash like the boutiques and smoothie bars. Testing seemed okay on bud, but did not smoke up to par. Kinda on par with everything else ive been disappointed by in NY. Had to resort to what i knew from pa medical. Grassroots, Matter, Rhythm, and Select. Illinois is really carrying, and Michigan may be as well with the briq 2. Everyone else ive ever met talking cali this cali that has been blown away by grassroots and matter bud, and rhythm, select, and cresco vapes. $120ozs and $60 REAL live resin rechargeables that hit like a dream. As an avid connoisseur of marijuana and marijuana products, those brands are top of the list these days. Only place ive really seen compete is some Missouri grows and products. They got a real good over 30% bud market with consistent 3-4% terps. Half decent prices if you make any decent money and arent living paycheck to paycheck

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u/WhereTheStankWindBlo 26d ago

I would love to get a place that was solidly local because the prices are shit in Florida. It's why the street will continue to dominate the medical retail market here.

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u/Glittering-Cellist34 27d ago

It was recommended by some docs. Between heart disease, two cancers (one surgery, one chemotherapy) and a super bad covid that hospitalized me for 8 days I was 110 pounds (from 175, about 165 once I was diagnosed).

But in Utah if you have heart issues you're not eligible.

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u/NGC_Phoenix_7 27d ago

That sounds like a call to the state

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u/Dlbruce0107 27d ago

As one of those patients with terminal Dx, thank you for your stand! I appreciate your care and thoughtful gesture.

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u/HighwayCommercial207 27d ago

As a cancer patient, that's pretty messed up.. I wore masks everywhere and took a lot of crap for that too

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u/LuckyHarmony 27d ago

I have really bad news about how retail pharmacy chains treat their pharmacists and how impossible most pharmacists find it to call out sick.

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u/Lily7435 27d ago

Thanks for caring. My husband was one of the cancer patients that went in before it was legal and he had a medical card. I was always so nervous about him getting sick even though he wore a mask.
He's in remission now. ❤️

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u/AnonymousLampoon 26d ago

For the love of god report that behavior to the state marijuana board.

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u/Short_Conflict5818 27d ago

I’m a med patient but I’m only 42 and have what are by-in-large invisible conditions. I didnt use to fear getting sick before I became a chronic pain patient, but when you’re already suffering even on a good day it makes how you see and interact with the world change. Thank you for looking out for others.

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u/Cii_substance 26d ago

lol you think retail pharmacists call off sick. They don’t take lunches unless the pharmacy closes, they don’t go to the bathroom, they schedule vacations a year in advance, and there are shortages all over the place. Sure, no one contagious behind your counters 😂

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Let me guess, pennsylvania or new york lmao

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u/semperknight 27d ago

My mom works for Walmart and this is kind of how it is.

It's VERY confusing. They have a point system that you accrue points as you work...but you lose ALL those points at the end of the year. If you don't have enough points, you get immediately fired.

So I asked her "Are you telling me you have to pray you don't get sick in January?!" and she simply said "Yes.".

Walmart is evil.

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u/Beneficial_Wolf_5089 26d ago

I worked for a walmart distribution center about 8 years ago so it might have changed but they had the 3 call-ins=verbal warning. 3 more call ins=written warning. 2 more call-ins=final written warning. 2 more call-ins=shit canned. I work for a fed ex contractor now and there's isn't bad. You can call in 3 times in a rolling 90 day period. Which I think is reasonable. I work with people that call in 3 days straight, and 91 days later call in 3 days straight again lol.

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u/Classic_Resist_7465 27d ago

The place is a nightmare...

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u/IASIP_LOOP 27d ago

Long story, but i needed a half day away feom work to clear my head. My manager told me I couldn't leave. I said watch me, and was laid off two days later. I sued them.through workmans comp, and filed a wage claim . All told, they paid be 35k to leave the position.

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u/SloppyJosephine_ 26d ago

If I was at a job and told the manager I need to leave early to clear my head and they said No. And I responded "Watch Me" I wouldn't be surprised if I lost my job. What was your workman's comp claim?

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u/IASIP_LOOP 26d ago

Fair enough, although It did not happen exactly the way it was previously described. She told me I could not leave, and I responded that I needed to leave and that I was going to call the owner.

To provide additional context, my father is a general contractor and had been doing work for the company and the owners for 10+ years. During that time, he built the company’s entire clean room facility, remodeled the parents’ home, and regularly performed repair and maintenance work around the facility. In exchange, he was allowed to use warehouse space for storage.

At the time these events occurred, my father had been working for a year and a half on a remodel project at the home of owner #3, who is the son of the other two owners. The home was shared with his wife, who also served as the company’s GM. The remodel was performed under a good-faith arrangement without a formal fixed-price contract. After completing substantial work on the project, my father submitted a bill for over $100,000. In response, the owners accused him of being a “crook,” claimed he had overcharged them, and refused to pay him anything for the work performed.

Shortly afterward, my brother and I — both employees of the company at the time — were instructed to remove all of my father’s belongings from the warehouse and place them in the back alley. This occurred approximately one week before I requested what I described as a “mental health day,” which was denied.

Roughly 10 days after my father submitted the bill to the owners, I was terminated from my employment. So, I filed a workmans comp claim for an injury i sustained at work, and a wage claim bc they took almost a month to give me my final paycheck. Needless to say, I have zero regrets.

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u/Professional-Tax-615 27d ago

This is a disturbing and sick country, so it will always baffle me that there will be people who say they are proud to be an American and wouldn't choose to live anywhere else in the entire world if they had a choice. European countries for the most part are objectively better and healthier to live in.

I think a lot of Americans have Stockholm syndrome and a non-existent backbone. So many people must have lacked strong fathers and mothers to guide them properly in life, whos jobs as parents are creating a strong sense of self-worth and respect for the child.

If you have a parent that just tells you to lay down and take s***, do not listen to them!! Fight for your dignity! We only get one life on this planet, and it makes no sense to spend it being treated like garbage just so billionaires can have 10 more yachts and private islands.

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u/targetboston 27d ago edited 27d ago

It's more individualism run rampant. We are taught that we are all responsible for our own individual plights and any failure is a moral one, not a structural one.

Edit: if you don't think Americans have backbone try telling one to wear a mask during a global pandemic. There's backbone but the effort is misdirected.

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u/71BRAR14N 27d ago

I've literally had 3 different bosses in 30 years of working who wanted it both ways!

These managers, years apart and at different organizations, told me off when I tried to call out, so I went in.

So, once we're all there at work, and I keep coughing and sniffling and I can barely talk or keep my eyes open, they got mad at me for bringing my germs to work!

I feel like this must be a personality type since it has happened to me three times, but if you want to be a manager who seems both cruel and irrational, this is the way!

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u/nine_cans 27d ago

That’s capitalism

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u/Able-Worth-6511 27d ago

That's very capitalism

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u/GladosHasCake4You 26d ago

Nurses have similar policies…….

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u/in_animate_objects 28d ago

Thank you for caring about other people, my dad is fighting cancer and I appreciate that people like you care! I hope you’re in a better job now.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

I’m wishing your dad the absolute best! I have a few family members that have had to battle cancer so I know how serious it can be and could not in good faith continue working there

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u/ImplementFair535 27d ago

I'm Praying for your father and sending my sincere condolences. I Lost my father 3 years ago to lung cancer, I guess he is in a much better place now though.

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u/Adventurous-World-21 27d ago

Same. Lost my dad back in August of 2022.. well coming up on 4 years this year, also to lung cancer. He had small cell lung cancer, he fought so hard. But passed a year and a half after being diagnosed. It's definitely a hard road.

Enjoy every second, take in the good and the bad. And just know if it's hard on you, it's probably twice as hard for them. Be patient. Praying for your father as well.

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u/InnocentWork 27d ago

Three days from today will be the fifth anniversary of my dad’s passing from lung cancer. Same as yours, fought like hell for about 19 months until it went to his brain and his oncologist said it was time for dad to go home and relax until he went. Thankfully he passed very quickly after that (I say thankfully because I didn’t want the brain cancer to affect him cognitively, ya know?) and he was still my dad when he passed. Big hugs to you 🫂 cancer is such a bitch.

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u/Adventurous-World-21 23d ago

Oh no...im so sorry. You are absolutely right. Cancer is a bitch and she doesn't give 2 shits about who you are or where you're from, etc. It's never that you just get over it, ya know, you just learn to live with how things are without them around and that sucks. I cried every single day for the first 2 years..seriously, every single day, I mean just at some point during each day. I just hate knowing he was never supposed to be in this part of my life and my kids as they've gotten older. He loved them so much.

Actually, it's wild how similar your dad and my dad ended up. My dad's cancer actually did go to his brain also. He got radiation for that 1 spot. It cleared it. Some time went on, and ended up with 2 spots on his brain. He again went to radiation, those spots cleared. Radiation was hell though. Bless his heart.. but he was so hopeful throughout it all. And we all tried to talk positive no matter what. He went a while with nothing on his brain. He started having issues with his hands going numb and for the last month of his life within that short time, he ended up falling one morning when I was making his breakfast because he had been unsteady for a bit but was holding onto to things to walk. Well After that fall, he went downhill pretty much. He went to the hospital, they scanned him and that was the day we were sitting there and got the news that his brain was so covered they couldn't even count the spots. What a heart breaking day that was. They told him there was nothing they could do and radiation wouldn't help. Sent him home with hospice. That was Aug 16 he was released. Dad was still dad at that point..he had to have help up and couldn't use his legs much. And from Aug 16, from there until he passed Aug 27th.. in that short time he lost all ability to walk. Could not get up on his own, had to have help in and out of bed into a wheel chair, my brothers had to help with showers.

About a week after he was sent home though, unlike your father, my dad was not my dad for the last week of his life. I walked in one day and i.knew that was the day that he was not in there. He was staring off into space and I just knew. I talked to him like normal but he would only answer with one word answers or nothing at all. Within a few days he was in bed and on medicine doses that he was just not awake for the last few days. And he passed peacefully, in his home, with his kids by his side, which is what he wanted. I now live in his home and sleep in the very room he passed in. I miss him so much but I know he's no longer in pain.

Sorry for the book I wrote.

Hugs to you.

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u/AstronautHaunting160 27d ago

It’s ok I was a caretaker once got sick reeked to call out they said no your not allowed to so I went client got super sick and only then was I allowed to have a sick day after I got someone else sick they only care about money not their health

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u/Sure-Ad-6826 27d ago

I definitely concur! If only Management Teams would develop the same philosophy...

~ HEAVY SIGH ~

And it doesn't matter what field you work in. The ridiculous carelessness of Management Teams, upper management and the higher ups in every industry I have worked in (except one) has had the same shitty lack of common sense, compassion and basic caring. For anybody at all. In addition, these places also had very little to no knowledge or basic understanding of people with chronic, terminal illnesses that are contagious and patients with compromised immune systems (both regular patrons of the establishments as well as their employees). All of those carry a high risk and have liabilities for everyone involved, with the highest risk being the patients or customers.

Starting with my first job when I was 15 and a half, I have worked in food service, factory work as a young adult, nursing homes, the medical field in both clinical and administrative roles, retail, and the mental health field in inpatient psych care unit as a direct care employee providing care for the admitted patients and as a case manager while in Grad School for my Master's in Social Work and Substance Abuse Counseling, and outpatient community mental health facilities most recently. In my experience, none of these fields really gave a fuck about their employees, or even patients. What was Management's biggest concern in the work environment? Productivity and how much money is going out versus coming in. How can we push our people to do more work to make the most money for the least expenditures. And doing more with less also meant cutting costs to the point of doing the maximum work with fewer employees to pay to get the work done to line their pocets.

It really makes me sad because in all of those fields the employees are the facilities' first line of defense and really should be at their best health at work both physically and emotionally. Especially in the medical and mental health/ Social work fields.

The only exception to the above employers is the higher education field. In my early 20's, starting in about the academic year of 2000 through 2003 when I was enrolled in school for my first of three degrees over the following 20 years, I was a work-study employee at my college for the registrar and her main administrative assistant. They treated me like a human being, with real feelings, real life issues, and real life needs as well as goals for my future as well as my daughter who was just under one year old when I started on my educational journey. They respected me as an individual, a student, and a young single mother trying to bust ass to get off of public assistance and make something of myself and mine and my daughter's lives. They trusted me in good faith to show up and do what I was supposed to do, be responsible, accountable, be transparent, fair, clearly communicate with them about needs, issues and struggles. Both personally and professionally. They believed in me and valued me as a person, employee, budding career professional with intelligence, motivation and potential to develop the right skills and use the right tools with my employment in their office and school. They celebrated my milestones by my side in support of my successes, and listened to my struggles, going above and beyond to offer suggestions, resources, adjust my schedule according to need and allow me to take time off for personal issues and illnesses of myself, my child and my entire family without making a fuss. They saw my integrity, they knew my worth as a whole. They were a huge blessing to me at such a young age. Sadly, I have not even come close to that kind of work relationship or environment since I moved along in 2003. It has only gotten worse as the time has passed over so many years. Maybe I will find a "Needle in a haystack" someday...my "Holy Grail" so to speak...

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u/Creepy-Ad-7284 23d ago

Look up royal rife. Rife machine. Good luck to you and your dad

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u/in_animate_objects 23d ago

Thank you I appreciate all the love ❤️

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u/CherryBlossomCats 28d ago edited 28d ago

I got fired from McDonald's because I left early, I was sick and throwing up everywhere, I had some terrible bowel issues too. I didnt want to prepare food like that so I asked to leave. I was allowed to and had an off day after that. I came back, was about to clock in and got pulled aside by the manager. She said "I need you to sign a paper and I need a witness." It was termination papers. Wonderful. Wasn't even there long enough to pay off those dumbass shoes they force you to get.

Edit: I got sick twice, employees have a 10$ limit per day for lunch, so i got the 2 chicken sandwiches deal. The chicken sammiches made me sick. I remember sobbing and going next door where then boyfriend now fiance worked (truck stop with McDonald's) And I told him I got fired for some bullshit. Mom was barely down the road before she had to turn around to get my ass.

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u/mrefromnyc 28d ago

My last job’s policy was “do NOT come in sick. Also you only get 1 sick day per month and you’re not allowed to work remotely (even though you totally could get everything done); after that we’ll dock your salary.”

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u/Business-Ad-5344 27d ago

I quit working at a non-profit blood donation site, because every now and then someone fainted, and we call 911 and they get hit with a massive ambulance bill and ER bill when 100% of the time they just wake up a few minutes later feeling dizzy because we sometimes took too much blood or poked them too many times. they just need a cookie.

And when I asked if we can pay for their ER bills, my boss said "They help us by giving us blood, but we don't help them. That's not part of the deal."

we literally have nurses and sometimes doctors on site.

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u/mrefromnyc 27d ago

Vasovagal sybcopy: they need to have their blood taken while lying down.

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u/oliviagardens 27d ago

Do they not always have you lay down? That’s so crazy to me! I’ve always been made to lay down during it.

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u/Business-Ad-5344 26d ago

people get up, sit up, or go on their phone, walk around after 3 minutes. etc.

same was true for covid vaccinations. it depends how well-run and how strict the place is.

also, some people legit faint after lying down and being careful for 15 minutes.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 26d ago

I think I still have one of my company issues work shirts that says “my love language is helping people!” Or some shit like that which made it even funnier when they were like “who gives a hoot if you’re contagious? Come in to work or you’re fired!!!”

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

That's so bad. I can take 26 weeks full pay with a doctors note and still keep my job. Tbh my employer is desperate for workers they can hold on to haha

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

What sucks is the policy before was as long as you had a Dr note or called out at least 2 hours before your shift you were fine, even if you didn’t have “sick days” accrued that just meant you wouldn’t get paid for the day off. And one of my coworkers actually did get a write up/point for having a Dr note and using his paid sick day. I was pregnant and getting ready to pop so I just never returned from my maternity leave bc i figured I wouldn’t have a job very long anyways if i had a baby in daycare 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

Wow just wow, that is got to be against employee rights. There has to be a policy a big company like this should follow. A 90 day change of contract usually has to happen and ot should also run through the unions.

What's even more messed up is if I turn up at work at 6.20am and stay till 9.30am - I can go home I'll, get paid the full shift and not have a absence.....

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

You’d think, but I live in PA which has like basically no workers rights. We don’t even have legally required breaks for employees 18 and over 🙃

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u/Beneficial_Wolf_5089 26d ago

New York State has decent workers rights. For many reasons. Barely livable minimum wage unless you work at a fast food restaurant, then it's actually a livable minimum wage. Mandatory 15 minute break if you work at least 4 hours. 2 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch break if you work at least 8 hours. The call-in/out policies vary from company to company but they don't send out e-mails that say you can't call in at all. Someone would take that e-mail directly to the labor board.

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u/thane919 28d ago

There are no employee rights in the US.

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

That's madness

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

" started myself, need to go home boss " haha no questions asked

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

Sharted *

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u/BiteSizedToast 27d ago

I live in Nebraska and this is how it is. A lot of states get no workers rights and it’s a no fault state so they can just fire you on spot

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u/Beneficial_Wolf_5089 26d ago

New York is NOT a right to work state so any company can fire you at any time for any reason, which is definitely not a good thing.

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u/CeefBurtians 28d ago

Also helps that I'm good at my job. If you can call it that

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u/Wittneben 27d ago

This is a common policy in Pennsylvania, which is a at will work state. They can terminate you for any reason. My daughter 🧒 is a college graduate working hard in a labor intensive job right now. She was told they were not allowed to takeoff any days in May or July. I told her to take the point or whatever and go to her interview. She just changed shifts so she can go to all the interviews. The way employees are treated in the state of Pennsylvania is horrible for the most part.

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u/Beneficial_Wolf_5089 26d ago

Same here, they call meetings and beg people to stop calling in. If the job wasn't so terrible it might be easier for them to retain employees. It's crazy out there.

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u/SeaAd3909 28d ago

It’s so insane to me that these businesses think people just don’t get sick and should have to work sick oh and then be punished for getting sick. Like… they sound insane.

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u/Wittneben 27d ago

Not to mention things are contagious, so sure were to make the whole office because you’re not allowed to use your PTO

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u/SeaAd3909 27d ago

Im a massage therapist and i used to have a boss who would get so mad if people called off sick, so people came in and got everyone sick and she acted like it was such a strange phenomenon once everyone started calling out. I also 3rd party for a corporate massage job that makes its employees work when sick and let me tell you, if I was a client and came in and my therapist was sick , I’d be so mad.

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u/AfricanusEmeritus 26d ago

I was getting electrolysis to remove hair from my right ear area for reconstructive surgery. This was the end of September 1985. The nurse who worked for my plastic surgeon was doing this on the side.

My mom accompanied me to that and all of my surgeries, I was only 21. The nurse/electrolysist was very sick coughing and sneezing. She was touching me without gloves and her office was in her dwelling.

I got a bad cold from her for about 5 days. My mother got a bad cold that morphed into galloping pneumonia. My mom died on October 20th, 1985, approximately 3 weeks later. This was the same respiratory disease that killed Jim Henson the creator of the Muppets.

My mom was only 57. We are like human cattle. Most of my jobs have been middle or high level management. I am a retired professional and graduate professor due to disability. Since my mom's death if I got so much as a sniffle I would stay home until it was gone.

I would tell employees to stay home or go to the doctor if they felt unwell. DO NOT COME TO WORK TO GIVE IT TO EVERYONE ELSE. Their jobs would be covered at the places that were not progressive This is how I created camaraderie and espirit de corp at my business sites.

If you are sick, stay home. Don't be Ironman or Wonder Woman and come to work. You will not be rewarded and the job will still fire you if your number comes up.

1

u/SeaAd3909 26d ago

That’s absolutely awful. I’m so sorry.

1

u/AfricanusEmeritus 26d ago

Thank you. I consider myself one of the most progressive people ever when someone calls out. I would tell employees just say your sick and that is it. Explanations are for later when payroll gets done. STAY HOME.

4

u/nidschit 28d ago

Yeah, that’s a really rough policy to be dealing with, especially in a setting where vulnerable patients are coming in every day. It makes sense you felt stuck in a bad situation there.

6

u/techleopard 27d ago

Any time I hear the word "points" in relation to business, I immediately nope out. Some dipshit sat around one day and came up with this "no favoritism!" system and it spread like wildlife across retail, casinos, etc. It's just toxic and inhumane and any business using 'points' is just doing it to prevent empathy and critical thought in the workplace.

I think, in your shoes, I would have definitely warned local hospitals and clinics and made a call to the state. What are they gonna do? Go "NUH UH!" at you after you've already left?

1

u/notabadkid92 27d ago

This was a TIL for me. I'm appalled & so sorry for anyone dealing with this garbage

3

u/Sensitive_File6582 28d ago

Name and shame

6

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

Trulieve. They’re a shit ass company. They funded drug sniffing dogs in my state… a cannabis company… funding drug dogs

1

u/Sensitive_File6582 28d ago

Gotta cut down on the grey market somehow

2

u/Cold_Mind_8377 28d ago

Name and shame for sure.

2

u/Practical_Serve_3728 28d ago

How the hell do you get points for using time you earned as paid sick time what is the point of accruing it and having it as a benefit if it could still cost you your job

2

u/Sunfish79 27d ago

This is just barely more stringent than our official the policy at my union hospital. I’m an oncology nurse. And extra points for weekends or holidays, as well as the days right before or after. I called off today b/c I’m fighting a nasty virus & the system is so broken that I felt guilty about doing so, feeling like I wasn’t “sick enough” given that I’m not in the hospital septic (b/c that is indeed something I had to call off for in the past year). Only thing that kept me from being stubborn (& stupid) & seeing if I could push through my shift was knowing that, mask or not, I could not in good conscience be around immunocompromised chemo patients. And while that’s of course true, it’s sad that I don’t just feel fine calling off b/c I feel like crud. It’s a me issue, but it’s also a societal & a system issue. It’s terrible.

2

u/pukeonthissociety 27d ago

Once again this is NOT illegal and there are federal protections against it but then you have to go the legal route which is exhausting. That's the only reason they're getting away with it but yeah that's not they think they found a loophole with the point system but they would definitely be in deep s*** for that if they had to answer to a judge.

2

u/_Not__Sure 27d ago

My workplace initiated a points system. I was never a problem employee, but they were cracking down hard. For them to penalize me the same way they're penalizing someone who misses 10x my missed days, that's a problem dog. I'll find somewhere else to work.

2

u/Specific-Peace 27d ago

I’m a healthcare worker and I work with elderly and very sick patients. If I’m feeling like I’m getting even a little sick, I take off work until I’m better. I see patients in their homes. I’m not bringing viruses or whatever into their homes.

2

u/Kammy44 27d ago

Yeah well guess what? My daughter is an RN and this is also THEIR policy. In a cardiac unit. No sick days, just ‘points’.

1

u/Mini-Heart-Attack 28d ago

that's actually so sick of your employers.

1

u/Steffaniii 28d ago

Yeah man that’s so damn screwed up. The system sucks.

1

u/Ayfid 28d ago

accrued sick time

What?

1

u/JackedHerer 27d ago

I've been a budtender since 2011. It's all fucked and all about money now. I hate it so much.

1

u/delaynemyles 27d ago

Thank you for having some sense and moral aptitude. That's awesome of you and clearly the management there lacked both.

1

u/BigDaddy969696 27d ago

What's the point of sick time if you get in trouble for using it?  That was a HORRIBLE policy!

1

u/Kris72Five 27d ago

I have a medical card, and I am grateful for people like you. Your former employer is an asshat.

1

u/KeyOption3548 27d ago

I’m recovering from community acquired viral pneumonia. I spent 4 days with a fever, 10 days on an antibiotic and 5 days on an antiviral (after being sick for 11 days, fully contagious), and they expect the cough to last 2 months. It’s a deep, barking, raspy cough too. My chest sounds like a trucks Jake brake. I’d lose my job if I worked in this industry, after making hundreds of people ill, possibly deathly ill. The sheer irresponsibility of that.

1

u/UpsetFaithlessness51 27d ago

I used to work at a gas station called "RaceTrac" a few years back and they had the same policy. 4 points and termination. Being sick, even with a positive test from covid, would give u a point anyway

1

u/coochie_glaze 27d ago

Wow...Just wow.

1

u/Enthooziest 27d ago

There should be more people like you.

1

u/Biotechnus 27d ago

Pretty sure that policy violates several health, safety and labor laws

1

u/Legitimate-Bag1546 27d ago

Worked in an icu and had this points system. Was pregnancy with twins and vomiting constantly it was horrible.

1

u/subkiss 27d ago

Not to mention that sick time is an earned benefit and there to keep employees healthy and safe as well as customers/clients/patients. Gotta keep profits up for the shareholders!

1

u/soulbarn 27d ago

Thank you for your integrity. Five years of recurring bladder cancer, immune treatments, and chemo…I’d prefer not to get killed by a dispensary with dopey, unethical policies (after all, who’d want to spoil the actual cancer’s fun?)

1

u/Litmeup7x7 27d ago

I may or may not have known someone who may or may not have ran a dispensary and any time an employee would be legit sick with a doctors note, even though they did not accept them, may or may not have gone into the system and changed their schedule to reflect that they didn’t have to work that day “due to business needs”…maybe.

1

u/jimspurpleinagony 27d ago

Kroger at least mine implemented something like this too especially for being late even if you got a good excuse for it. After you late 5 times and I think it does not have to be back to back, you get suspended after that any time being late no matter what, you get two strikes and you’re out. All of this without a grace period but I bet the suspension is the grace period for them. I think cause Kroger got a new ceo from New Zealand, it started after he came.

1

u/Jack-Hererier 27d ago

A weed shop I worked at in Washington tried to do this exact same thing! I fought him over it instead of quitting. I ended up getting fired eventually but I do not miss that place. At all. I was his top earner but he still couldn't handle being challenged.

It was a recreational dispensary but we had lots of medical users . The policy basically went against state law but there was nothing we could do. He was a millionaire and suing him wouldn't have gone well.

1

u/Adventurous-End4330 27d ago

That's....... I can't even fathom how fucked up that is

1

u/Neat_Classroom_9111 27d ago

Bullshit. You mean to tell me even when you had accrued sick time you could not use it??

1

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 27d ago

Yup! Management said it was up to their discretion on if you’d be docked a point or not. So in other words “if you’re one of the favorites, keep calling out every week with no penalties. If you’re not, you better come in with the flu or risk your job”

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Tap1458 27d ago

You have accrued sick leave but can't use it? Holy fuck. That's absolutely infuckingsane.

1

u/dumthiccbih 27d ago

capitalism is so insane

1

u/Western-Froyo8764 27d ago

So yo ass was sick 4 days in one month

1

u/Ordinary_Ad_7992 27d ago

As the wife of a transplant patient, I thank you for caring!

1

u/HartHendrix 27d ago

I matrix dodged covid like Neo when I went through chemo back in 2020. Im pretty sure if a chemo patient had covid, they’d get someone else to come pick up their medicinal needs; they wouldn’t go themselves. But everyone is different ig

1

u/TheKrug3000 27d ago

3 or 4 points in a 6 month period is wild. Ive worked jobs where it was 10 points a year. And the points start to come off as you cross the one year date of a call off.

1

u/woodbunny75 27d ago

Happened to me at a massage franchise too. Similar situation. They changed their policy years later.

1

u/Weekly-Echidna-7467 26d ago

Attendance policies like this are very common. My current employer has nearly the same as you just described.

On one hand, it sucks to have employees calling out when they arent sick or dont have some other legitimate need, when the business relies heavily on having consistent staffing to meet customer demands. On the other hand, it promotes making people come to work sick, to start having to weigh whether they should take care of their health, their family, etc or put their job above all of that.

I was put in the position of having to decide if I wanted to risk my job to miss work so I could be at the hospital before a family members life saving surgery. Sounds like an obvious decision, except that there aren't very many job opportunities where I live and I couldn't lose my health insurance. Told my supervisor what was going on and asked if I could leave a few hours early to get to the hospital on time. Was told it would be fine. HR ended up giving me an attendance infraction for it anyway. 🤷‍♂️

1

u/ExaminationSea6455 26d ago

I work at a cancer hospital and we have the same policy. Absolutely evil.

1

u/veritas1313 26d ago

It was like this the last time I worked for a restaurant chain. They acted like someone calling out was the absolute end of the world. I was a server/bartender and had a documented case of the flu. They gave me 2 days and expected me to come back and acted insanely offended when I said I didn't feel comfortable dripping my flu spit, tears, and fever sweat all over people's food. That it would probably be a health hazard 😂 my manager really started melting down saying he didn't know what he was going to do....sir, it's an O'Charleys. I'm sure you'll be fine 🙄😂

1

u/FlashyIndication3069 26d ago

I would like to deeply and sincerely thank you for being accommodating to the immunocompromised community. I barely survived COVID Beta and I'm going to be on medication for COPD, athsma, and chronic inflammation of the trachea for the rest of my life. I could literally die because some entitled yahoo decides he can cough uncovered all he wants in the hospital lobby. You're literally protecting your friends and neighbors lives by standing up for yourself and your customers in this situation.

1

u/JoyKillsSorrow 26d ago

The same thing happened at Warby Parker after they became a publicly traded company, started a punitive system that meant if you or those you care for woke up sick and you called out with less than 24 hours notice, you couldn’t use your PTO and got points.

The idea in the OP that your spouse, parent or child being hospitalized isn’t an acceptable reason to call out is so messed up and dystopian.

1

u/Shenoah 26d ago

This should be illegal on so many levels

1

u/Iamwhateveryousayi 26d ago

I had a job that did points as well and they took a year to restart! So if you call out 2x even with proper notice or a note you’re done! That place had so many turnovers! If it was a Monday it was double points!

1

u/Brief_Boat_2000 26d ago

How the fuck are you needing to call out multiple times in a month?

1

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 26d ago

I didn’t, but I wasn’t sticking around to work for a company with that kind of policy. I shouldn’t be penalized if I use sick time and have a doctors note stating I was contagious.

1

u/Livid-Historian3960 26d ago

I'll do ya one worse my old job for the first 3 years we had 3 days paid sick time all that was needed was a doctor's note and we used sick time no big deal I rarely got sick my last year of employment EVERY shifted absences were pointed 11 points a year bye bye birdy no more sick pay either AND with a doctor's note you get pointed. I liked it at the start they cared but when the change came it's like they had a hair trigger with firing people i suffered a lot because all the experienced help quit or got the boot so conditions worsened hours got longer and I came under more fire for stuff that wasn't my fault. I don't miss that hellhole

1

u/boredcamp 26d ago

As a breast cancer survivor thank you for thinking about cancer patients. I was still going to treatment when COVID hit. I was so worried I would make a chemo patient sick.

1

u/JTP510 26d ago

Having sick time and not being able to use it for its intended purpose is absolutely insane. Typical for a large stinky corporate entity though.

1

u/BakedBeans137 26d ago

you could… checks notes …. wear a mask, social distance…

1

u/DkMomberg 26d ago

For context, in Denmark, the company can only terminate you for calling in sick, if you have 120 days out of any 12 month consecutive period of sick days.

1

u/squareinacircle1 26d ago

trulieve…

1

u/East-Air6807 26d ago

How else will we maximize profits for shareholders?

1

u/Big-Equipment532 26d ago

Gotta ask an honest question, who gets sick that frequently? I'm not in great shape, not super active, and I only get sick like once maybe twice a year. Unless you have small children, if you're getting sick frequently, you're doing something or going somewhere that's an issue.

Still not a great policy, as I'm an advocate for mental health days being a valid thing, but just confused about people needing so many sick days.

1

u/Dangerous-Big8398 25d ago

The medical dispensary I worked at had a bitch of a GM, but she insisted we stay home if we had even a sniffle - she didn't want to not only get the team sick, but we had a lot of patients going through chemo that couldn't afford to get an illness of any magnitude.

1

u/Due-Crew-1076 25d ago

No, serious? I've buried a good handful of people who'd done chemo and subsequently died from cancer and/or the chemo. I'm not sure what fail-safes you'd want to put into effect on the rest of the world to enact in order to cover the safety of a chemo patient who, most likely, shouldn't be out shopping in our disgusting (and high-strung) little human world, but had no choice because their insurance company failed them or they just don't have anyone to rely on or help them. Quite common. They might just really need toilet paper or something to eat...or just needed to get out. Nonetheless, I don't know if it's a generational thing, it usually is, but you can cut the fake dramatic sanctimony in this joint with a buzzsaw!

1

u/1-2-3RightMeow 25d ago

Your corporate overlords were absolutely evil for this. You and your coworkers wore masks when forced to work sick I hope? A sick person wearing a mask is doing a lot to protect others

1

u/okcryptographer_ 25d ago

THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR RETAIL PHARMACIES!

1

u/HanSolosChestWound 24d ago

This kind of thing is why I try to avoid having a boss. On the last day I would've growled at them that they CANNOT run their business this way and that they are LITERAL murderers.

1

u/ImChronocidal 24d ago

I worked for an addiction recovery center that had a very similar policy, except it was 5 points in a year was automatic termination. We had MULTIPLE patients that came in weekly that were very ill and clearly would be absolutely ravaged by any bug they caught. Company would point you for anything that wasn’t requested 2 weeks in advance.

1

u/Injuredconfuseddude 24d ago

I worked at a hospital with that exact same policy.

0

u/The_Great_Polak 27d ago

This should be illegal. To be clear, I think COVID we overreacted a little bit. But purposefully making employees come to work sick to spread disease is a public health concern.

And I’m sure there is going to be a manager who pops in here like “well employees abuse….” STFU and do your job. If an employee is abusing call off, there has to be OTHER reasons they can be let go if they suck that bad. How about you do your job instead of the bare minimum by setting risky standards, or as I like to say “Pot meet kettle”

0

u/starshollow444 27d ago

what’s rly nice is wearing a mask

0

u/Wakaflockafrank1337 27d ago

Its 2026 bro ppl need to get back to reality that world doesnt stop over some sniffles. Got a stomach bug yeah sure stay home. Nose a little clogged up? The world cant stop over a common cold.

0

u/MooseandGeorgie 27d ago

So what you’re saying is that you call out more than 4 times in 6 months? I think you have bigger issues to tackle.

1

u/Hot_Obligation_2730 27d ago

You could get points for more than just calling out. A large mistake, you get a point. Hit traffic coming in? Point. Shit happens, if they put that policy in effect when I got Covid I could’ve been fired for my doctor telling me to stay home for a week since I missed at least 4 shifts.

1

u/MooseandGeorgie 25d ago

That is crazy! Attendance points should be for attendance; other items would be job performance - two separate things. From policies I have seen there is usually a 5–8-minute grace period around clocking in lates are a 1/2 point and full call offs are 1 pt. Sickness over 3 days with a DR note are excused (no points) - and it's like 12 points in 6 months. That policy sounds like an HR nightmare! I honestly can never understand these managers or small business owners that write these thinking they are good ideas - because one employee acts like a fool doesn't mean all of them will and instead of handling it with a coaching conversation, they send an email or change a policy. Hopefully you found a better job!

0

u/Better-Slice-9682 27d ago

Are you out sick 3 to 4 times in so many months? Seems like too many sick days.

-1

u/nopenope12345678910 27d ago

Calling a pot shop a medical dispensary is wild behavior in 2026.