A Reddit post about a manager’s response to an employee working through a high fever has struck a chord online, highlighting what many say is the growing lack of empathy in workplaces.
The employee shared a screenshot of a chat with the manager after informing her about being unwell.
“Told my manager I had fever, this was her reply” the caption of the post reads.
Manager’s cold response goes viral:
The message read, “I am running on very high fever, I am not taking any leave, just I would be taking few breaks in between. No, today’s deliverables will be hampered.”
Instead of a comforting or polite response, the manager replied, “OK keep CJ informed. And always ensure during breaks that someone is tracking mail.”
In the post, the employee mentioned being seriously unwell during the second half of Friday, but continued working as the team lead was on leave.
“Expected a bit of courtesy and a ‘take care’ reply from my lady manager. Guess what, I didn’t get any of that, instead got more responsibilities in return, haha,” the employee added.
The post drew mixed reactions online, with many expressing sympathy for the employee and frustration over the manager’s cold response.
One of the users commented, “Everything that comes after ‘I am having a fever’ should be reworded to I am taking a leave. Expect a delay in deliverables. Will try to get back as soon as I feel better.”
A second user commented, “As a manager/lead/boss, you gotta pick up the slack your team mate is leaving.”
“Don’t you think as a manager …there should be a follow-up comment saying Please take leave or log off early if required. Take care!! Because this is what managers are supposed to do, not manage robots but humans,” another user commented.