An employee’s social media post has gone viral after revealing how their boss subtly asked them to work from home, despite him taking a sick day. The incident has sparked conversation online, highlighting how employees at smaller companies are often expected to stay available, even when they’re officially on leave.
The employee, who has been working as a Marketing Coordinator at a small firm for the past six to seven months, described the experience in a detailed Reddit post, which is titled: “Texted my boss to take leave but asking to WFH indirectly.”
“I’ve been working as a Marketing Coordinator for the past 6-7 months. I barely take leave. Even if I take leave, it would be once a month. It’s a small company with only 2 employees (including myself) working from the office & the rest 2-4 employees working from home,” the user wrote.
According to the post, the company has been operating for nearly 25 years, but currently has a very small team. The user said they had been suffering from severe stomach pain and had informed their boss in the morning that they needed a sick day.
“He’s asking me to work despite taking leave. Worst of all, I’m using my own laptop for work when the company has to provide one,” the post included.
Screenshots of their WhatsApp conversation with the boss were also shared. In the messages, the boss asked the employee to coordinate with clients, saying, “Monday is when all get started with work.” He also suggested the employee should inform a client that “you’re not well and that you will coordinate the work.”
The boss ended the message with, “Request them to message you and you will call back.”
The employee shared how this kind of behaviour made them feel, saying, “This sounds like a subtle way of asking someone to work as if they own the company, but at the same time, paid peanuts for the work.”
The post sparked several reactions in the comments section.
A user pointed out the company’s long history despite having such a small team. “What has he been doing for the last 25 years to have so few employees? And it’s kind of justified because this is India,” they commented.
Another commented, “I would never join a startup with 6 employees, no matter how much they pay. With this size, everyone ends up doing everything, and you can’t blame anyone because of the size of the company.”
“Sorry you had to face this. Please start looking for another job. Nothing can justify staying in this job,” someone suggested.
“You should start looking for a better opportunity. With your work experience, I am 100 per cent sure you will seal a lot better deal,” a person added.
This is not the first instance of an employee turning to social media to share their workplace struggles. Just last month, a new joinee revealed that they decided to quit after their boss asked them to continue working despite having a broken leg.